Archer to go straight to Ashes after IPL stint: county club coach

London, Apr 1 (PTI) England pacer Jofra Archer will continue to prepare for the Ashes while playing in the IPL, and once the lucrative T20 tournament is over, he’ll straightaway get into the gruelling five-Test series against Australia, according to his country club coach.

Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace said that Archer, who returns to Mumbai Indians this season after missing the entire last edition due to an elbow injury, is unlikely to play any red-ball cricket before the home Ashes series starts in June.

The first Ashes Test commences at Edgbaston on June 16.

Following his recovery from an elbow injury and a stress fracture in his back, Archer has appeared for the national side seven times this year.

“The England plan for Jofra is he’ll go and play in the IPL. I think all things being equal, he (Archer) will go straight into the Ashes off the back of the IPL,” Farbrace was quoted as saying by ‘BBC Sport’.

Since Archer is unlikely to play any red-ball cricket before the Ashes due to his IPL commitment, the 27-year-old doesn’t want to waste the opportunity to fine tune his Test bowling ahead of the oldest cricketing rivalry in the world.

Archer could play a Test against Ireland at Lord’s from June 1, but his availability is subject to the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians’ progress in the IPL.

The IPL final is scheduled for May 28.

“I think their plan is that between IPL games he’ll bowl some longer spells to get his overs up and make sure that he is match-ready.

“That’s the nature of international franchise cricket these days. I know there’ll be a lot of people saying ‘he should play at least two four-day games to be ready for a Test match’, but the preparation and the work that the medical teams do around these players is exceptional,” added Farbrace.

Archer returned to the England white-ball setup in January this year after spending 17 agonising months recovering from the elbow and back injuries. He has taken 42 wickets in 13 Tests for England, but he last played the longest format in February 2021.

Elaborating on how Sussex helped Archer get back from the debilitating injuries, Farbrace said, “We’re really lucky here at Sussex. I think we have got an unbelievable medical set-up with some fantastic professionals.

“That’s something that allows players like Jofra to move from T20 cricket to Test match cricket and be ready and prepared to go. England are not daft. They know that keeping the likes of Jofra fit for the Ashes will be really important to win the Ashes,” added the former England assistant coach.

“They are saying ‘how can we make sure that we get Jofra prepared to play the Ashes and be the best version he can be?’ They’ve got a lot of good people around that squad who we need to trust and allow them to do their job,” said Farbrace.