England captain Joe Root said Tuesday that he has no qualms about launching self-assured fast bowler Jofra Archer’s Test cricket career in the cauldron of an Ashes clash at Lord’s.
The 24-year-old Barbados-born quick seems certain to be handed his first Test cap on Wednesday in place of the injured James Anderson as the hosts look to get back on level terms with Australia after a 251-run humbling in the first encounter at Edgbaston.
“He (Archer) is certainly very confident and that’s great to see in a young guy, as he should be after the World Cup,” Root said at Lord’s on Tuesday.
“And, as he made very clear, it’s his preferred format so again I’m very excited to see at the start of his journey.
“If anything, it will motivate him and when he gets the chance he will be desperate to prove to everyone how good he is. That’s what you want and he won’t shy away from the challenge.”
Root said left-arm seamer Sam Curran could feature at Lord’s after Moeen Ali was dropped, although the England skipper stopped short of naming his XI a day in advance.
“Sam is a brilliant talent and can change the game with bat and ball,” said Root.
“His record is fantastic and he has had a huge impact in most of the games he has played and is a promising young talent who I’m sure will play a huge amount of Test cricket.”
