Jofra Archer’s latest injury setback is a massive blow for the England fast bowler but it should not diminish his team’s status as favorites to regain the Ashes from Australia.
Archer was slated for a return to England’s Test team this year after featuring in the white-ball series against Bangladesh in March but the recurrence of a stress fracture in his right elbow means he will be watching the Ashes from the sidelines.
Having made such an impressive impact in the 2019 Ashes, making his debut at Lord’s, Archer’s devastating pace was again expected to trouble Australia’s batters. The 28-year-old’s absence from the series, starting in June, has not seen England lose its tag as a favorite for success.
Indeed, the thrilling series draw in New Zealand in its most recent Test series showcased why England is edging Australia for favoritism for the Ashes at a general price of +110. Australia is a slightly bigger price at +130 in the outright betting and, for such a large sporting event as the Ashes, there will be many betting site bonus offers for new-zealand as further markets develop around who will be leading wicket-taker among other options.
We know you’ll be back stronger, Jof ❤️
💬 “We wish him the best of luck with his recovery. I’m sure we’ll see Jofra back to his best and winning games for England.”
🎙️ @RobKey612 pic.twitter.com/vL90D4TETA
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 16, 2023
What England’s performance in the two-Test series in New Zealand also demonstrated was the variety it has in its seam bowling options, especially given Mark Wood joined Archer in missing that series. James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Ollie Robinson all pitched in with wickets against New Zealand and they should all be in the Ashes squad, along with Wood and the likes of Chris Woakes and Matthew Potts.
Wood, who was rested for the New Zealand tour, bowled well in the last Ashes series in Australia and also showed his pace prowess in Pakistan at the end of 2022 after recovering from his own elbow injury. He missed the 2019 Ashes series in England due to injury but took the wicket which secured victory over Australia at Trent Bridge in 2015. Wood seems odds-on to be England’s main paceman in Archer’s absence this time.
Anderson, who has been carrying a groin injury, and Broad will be their usual threat and it would be no surprise to see them rotated to ensure their freshness. Broad’s 84 wickets against Australia in England at an average of 26.19 is better than his career average and he seems guaranteed to take more.
Then ⏩ Now@Jimmy9 & @StuartBroad8 took their first Test wickets together in New Zealand in 2008
15 years later they are the most successful bowling partnership in Test history 🐐🐐#NZvENG pic.twitter.com/YHcoQqVDdP
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) February 18, 2023
Woakes is perhaps more unlikely to see action and how much Ben Stokes bowls could depend on the England captain’s fitness levels through the series. But, even if England calls on the more inexperienced Robinson or Potts to compensate for Archer’s absence, they will be coming into a team full of confidence following the impact made since the appointment of former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum as head coach.
Given how big a role mentality can have in an Ashes series, being able to select from a confident and varied bunch of seam bowlers will be crucial in summer. England’s bold attacking approach by its batters over the past 12 months may give the impression the batters are simply sluggers. Still, the team has much more than a slugger’s chance thanks to the array of bowlers at its disposal, even without the luckless Archer.