League: Cricket
England pacer Jofra Archer has expressed his strong desire to feature in the Ashes 2025-26 series in Australia.
Archer, who returned to international cricket during the T20 World Cup 2024, insists he will do everything possible to make his Ashes participation a reality. Despite not having played Test cricket for over three years, Archer is determined to prove his fitness and form in time for the highly anticipated series. His return to the shorter format has sparked hopes among fans and selectors that he could overcome his injury woes and contribute significantly to England’s Test side once again.
Speaking to reporters, Archer shared his frustration with recurring comments about his injury-prone nature. He emphasized his commitment to staying fit and disproving the naysayers.
“I am going to use the rest of this year to make sure that playing in the Ashes is at least a possibility. I’m tired of going on Instagram and seeing posts saying ‘he’s going to be on the physio’s bed in the next two weeks’ and stuff like that. I want to spend the rest of the year proving some people wrong and hopefully play in another Ashes,” Archer was quoted as saying by the BBC Sports.
England Test captain Ben Stokes had earlier spoken about Archer’s eagerness to return to the traditional format. While Stokes is delighted with Archer’s comeback, he remains cautious about rushing the fast bowler back into the Test arena. Stokes recently revealed how Archer’s desperation to play in Tests is matched by a cautious approach from the team management, emphasizing the importance of managing his workload to avoid further setbacks.
To prepare for a potential return to Test cricket, Archer plans to participate in the County Championship fixtures next year. He outlined his strategy, stating, “I will manage myself as best as possible and get myself [through] until at least maybe the start of the Championship next year. I’ll probably play a few of those [games] and keep building up and getting that workload ready for Test cricket,”