England white-ball captain Jos Buttler wants a fully fit Jofra Archer to return to the national set-up. Archer, who has been going through an injury crisis since the end of 2019 is currently in Barbados, rehabilitating. Archer is currently out from the international set-up after he went through elbow surgery during the Indian Premier League 2023.
Speaking after the conclusion of the West Indies tour, Buttler said that he met with Archer during the tour and wanted him to take as much time as possible for his recovery.
“I haven’t spoken to Jof. Obviously, I saw him in Barbados, it was good to see him back in training with us and bowling well. I know the medical team and staff have got a good plan for him and I think I speak on behalf of all England cricket fans and cricket fans around the world that we want to see Jof back and back for good. So I think it’s important that he takes his time,” Buttler was quoted as saying by Reuters.
England lost both ODI and T20I series against West Indies in what has been a tumultuous time for them in the white-ball format. Buttler brushed off the defeats and said that England have gotten a good enough idea of how things are going to be during the T20 World Cup in June 2024.
“There’s been lots of ups and downs throughout the year but it’s always important to keep looking forward. We’ve obviously had five games out here in the Caribbean and had a really good look at what conditions will be like for the World Cup only six months away. So yeah, it’s been a good series,” Buttler said.
England’s loss vs West Indies comes after their shocking performance in the ODI World Cup 2023, where they finished at the bottom half of the league table, and just about scraped through to the Champions Trophy qualification positions.
“I’ve had some low moments for sure,” Buttler said, reflecting on his year.
“It was a huge disappointment in my career that [ODI] World Cup just gone, but after you let the dust settle there’s huge motivation and determination to have another crack and keep going. So that desire still burns strongly,” Buttler concluded.
