'He isn't being picked on merit' - Twitter reacts as Jofra Archer makes England's playing XI for 3rd Test ahead of Curran
England recently announced their playing XI for the 3rd Test against Pakistan scheduled to begin shorty in Southampton. They made only one change, with under-fire pacer Jofra Archer returning in place of all-rounder Sam Curran.
Pakistan, on the other hand, entered with an unchanged side. The visitors were in a dominating position in the 1st Test before squandering their advantage, and with inclement weather preventing a result in the 2nd Test, they head into this game needing a win to save the series.
Jofra Archer has been in the news for many reasons lately, specially for his performance in the 1st Test against the West Indies in the recently-concluded series. The 25-year-old, who also broke bio-secure protocols during that series and missed the 2nd Test (vs WI), recently claimed that the pitch for the 1st Test wasn't one to bend your back on.
"It's not deliberate. It's not every day you're going to come in and 90mph. I've seen Shah started bowling 90 so we'll see how he goes on later on tomorrow morning or afternoon. No one's robots so I'll be very, very interested to see what he can produce a bit later," Jofra Archer had said.
"This wicket is not a wicket you're really going to try to bend your back on. We bowled first and there was a little bit there in the morning but eventually as the game's gone on...actually it's spinning on day two so that says a lot about the wicket right now," he added.
Jofra Archer has come under immense criticism for these comments, with fans and pundits questioning his commitment to the side and his lack of willingness to bowl full tilt.
Twitter weighed in on the debate, with many users claiming that Mark Wood should have made it to the squad for the 3rd Test. They also stated that Curran would've been a better option under the overcast conditions at Southampton. England captain Joe Root's decision to bat first was also questioned.
Here's what Twitter had to say regarding the team selection for the 3rd Test.
Twitter reacts to Jofra Archer's inclusion for 3rd Test vs Pakistan