Jofra Archer hopes to play all three England tests against West Indies after recovering from injury

A period of rest and gradual build-up in training has aided the paceman

England paceman Jofra Archer says he has fully recovered from a right elbow injury sustained earlier this year and hopes to play in all three tests against the West Indies next month.

Barbados-born Archer’s injury had ruled him out of England’s tour of Sri Lanka and the Indian Premier League before both were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This past fortnight has been a lot different from the previous few weeks of practice as the intensity when you introduce batters goes up without you even noticing,” Archer wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.

“So far everything feels like clockwork.

“Crunch in, crunch out, my body feels fresh, and there are no issues with my right elbow whatsoever, touch wood.”

The first test is scheduled to begin in Southampton on July 8, with the last two matches at Old Trafford, as international cricket returns from the coronavirus shutdown.

“Despite the fact that the three matches of this series are played in such a short space of time ... I could play all three -- but everyone will be a bit cautious in terms of workload, thinking about the body and what lies ahead,” Archer added.

“... Bowling has been a gradual progression but despite the fact that I was resting my elbow injury when we went into lockdown in March, I have followed similar loads to the other England test bowlers.”

Reuters