NEW DELHI: Jos Buttler, England’s limited overs captain, is happy to see “genuine star” Jofra Archer back in action after the paceman made a successful return for Sussex’s second eleven.
Archer has not played top-tier cricket in the past year due to injuries that have blighted his international career.
Nonetheless, England has reintroduced him into their T20 world cup winning team for USA and West Indies next month as well as selected him for the upcoming warm up series against Pakistan.
Archer featured in Sussex’s 2nd XI match ahead of the four-game series with Pakistan on Friday. On day four he was brought into play and took new ball taking 1-11 off six tight overs during Kent’s second innings at Beckenham.
He struck Ekansh Singh on a helmet before picking up a catch at slip which led to another wicket of an opener who had returned home after playing domestic cricket in Barbados.
Archer is scheduled to join up with England’s squad in Leeds ahead of the first Twenty20 international against Pakistan at Headingley on Wednesday.
Buttler, who withdrew from Indian Premier League early so he could oversee England’s World Cup preparations stated to Britain’s Press Association news agency: “It’s a huge encouragement for him to be back and see him ready to play.
“Everyone knows what he is capable of and the attitude he possesses. As a captain, you can always go up to him because he always has something different. It is tremendous having someone like that around but we must manage expectations. He hasn’t been involved for some time now so we should take care of him and know that it may take some time before he becomes 2019 Jofra.”
Dynamic batsman Buttler added: “He is a proper superstar but we do have to be smart with him. It’s a jump in intensity from what he’s doing now to international cricket and you can’t really replicate it.”
