"Don't expect too much from him too soon" - Jos Buttler issues warning over Jofra Archer
England white-ball captain Jos Buttler has cautioned against holding high expectations over the returning Jofra Archer. The 32-year-old has played against Archer in the ongoing SA20 and reflected that the pacer is shaping up well.
Archer, plying his trade for the Mumbai Indians Cape Town, has recently recovered from a long-standing elbow injury. SA20 is his first stint in professional cricket since July 2021.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Buttler said he was thrilled to see Archer back in the England set-up after his performance in SA20.
Jof's back!
He's part of our 14-strong squad for England Men's ODI tour of South Africa in January 🏴🇿🇦
See the squad ⬇️
However, he wants to take a cautious approach, given the right-arm bowler has just recovered from a long line of injuries. Buttler said:
"It is exciting to bring someone like Jofra back into the squad. I played against him in the SA20 and he was getting it down at a fair pace. It must have been incredibly tough for him to come back after such a long period of time. When we see him, his performance level is so high but coming back from long-term injuries, don't expect too much from him too soon."
The keeper-batter felt Archer's comeback was also significant, given how important the year will be for England. Buttler added:
"It is fantastic to see him back on the pitch, doing what he loves doing, and in such a huge year for English cricket, with an Ashes series in the summer and then a 50-over World Cup later in the year, fingers crossed Jofra will available for all those things."
The 27-year-old hasn't played for England since March 2021 but was an integral member of the ODI World Cup-winning side in 2019, with him bowling the decisive Super Over in the final. He also starred with 22 wickets in four Tests at an average of 20.27 in the 2019 Ashes series against England.
"We have a lot of options" - Jos Buttler on England's 50-over World Cup
Buttler, who ushered England to T20 World Cup glory last year, further claimed that there is plenty of competition for places without too many ODIs before the tournament in India.
The Lancashire cricketer stated that the limited-overs series against Bangladesh in March should be a good preparation for the 2023 ODI World Cup, adding:
"We don't have many games before the World Cup so they are all crucial for us to try and nail down some positions and give people some confidence in role clarity. We have a decent idea of the squad we want to take to the World Cup but there is competition for places and people pushing and that drives people and standards.
"The series in Bangladesh will be a vital one, probably the only real chance we will get to experience conditions that we might at the World Cup in India."
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England have 13 ODIs before the 2023 ODI World Cup on Indian soil later this year, starting with a three-match series against South Africa. The first ODI will take place on January 27 in Bloemfontein.
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