Ashes 2023: Jofra Archer rushed home from IPL under fresh injury cloud

The man who famously floored Steve Smith now appears to be in serious doubt to play a part in the Ashes after another blow.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad

England has suffered a potentially seismic Ashes blow, with superstar fast bowler Jofra Archer rushed home under a fresh injury cloud.

The man who famously floored Steve Smith with a vicious bouncer at Lord’s in 2019 would now appear to be in serious doubt to play a part in the Ashes given he’s failed to get through the Indian Premier League T20 tournament due to soreness in the troublesome elbow he recently had surgery on.

Archer has not played a single first-class game of cricket since May 2021 and is now racing the clock to overcome his latest setback and build up his loads for Test cricket in the five weeks’ left until the first Ashes Test.

England confirmed Archer had been flown home but did not specify whether he remained a realistic Ashes hope.

Jofra Archer has suffered another injury blow. Picture: AFP

“The England and Wales Cricket Board can confirm that fast bowler Jofra Archer will return from the Indian Premier League with immediate effect,” an ECB statement said.

“Archer has been recovering from right elbow surgery. However, pushing through the discomfort whilst recently playing, hoping it will settle, has proven challenging.

“Therefore, it has been agreed for him to return to the UK for a period of rest and rehabilitation to give him the best opportunity for a full recovery.”

Jofra Archer will return from the #IPL with immediate effect for a period of rest and rehabilitation

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 9, 2023

The renewed doubt over Archer’s Ashes availability has been compounded by injury to another express fast bowling option for England, Olly Stone, who tore a hamstring on the weekend and is on crutches awaiting scan results.

It leaves Mark Wood as potentially England’s only express quick for the grueling five-Test campaign, and if the last Ashes was anything to go by – the 150km/h ace may not be up to playing every match.

Archer will return to the UK to undergo rehabilitation with the ECB medicos and his Sussex County club.

The Barbados-born enforcer was furious late last month when the English press first broke the news that he had undergone secret elbow surgery in Europe.

“Whoever the reporter is shame on you. An already worrying and troubling time for a player and you exploit it for your personal gain, it’s people like you that are the problem,” Archer tweeted.

Not having Archer as an option in England’s fast bowling rotation could put greater strain on veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad who are 40 and 36 years old respectively.

England’s desperate bid to stop Steve Smith

— Erin Smith

Removing Steve Smith from the crease has English bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson so stumped they turned to an Ashes AI bot for advice - but even that didn’t churn out a lot of options.

In a video promotion for Sky Sports ahead of next month’s Ashes, the England duo appear to have run out of ideas when it comes to targeting Aussie powerhouse Smith.

Anderson and Broad could have asked the bot anything but it was removing Smith swiftly from the crease that they both, understandably, considered most important.

The AI was quick to acknowledge “getting Steve Smith out can be challenging”.

It spat out a long list of tips and advice including using a short ball, strategic field placements, varying bowling and studying Smith’s weaknesses (of which there are few).

Preparing for The Ashes has reached new levels... 😅

Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad ask The Sky Sports Ashes AI Bot how to get Steve Smith out 🤖🤓pic.twitter.com/kLGg7lTMWS

— Sky Sports (@SkySports) April 28, 2023

Anderson and Broad seemed far from impressed with the bot’s advice - especially as they had exhausted most of these options during the past few series - which Australia and Steve Smith dominated.

Smith’s record against England is incredible - averaging just less than 60 with 11 hundreds in 32 matches.

It’s more impressive when playing in England, knocking an average of 65 - making him one of a select few Aussie batsmen who have a better record abroad than at home against the old rivals.

At the last Ashes held in England in 2019 Smith scored 744 runs across his seven innings, including three hundreds and one double century.

If the AI bot is running out of options on how to send Smith packing then it really doesn’t bode well for England’s hopes of keeping the coveted urn.

After offering its advice to Broad and Anderson the bot was quick to cover itself proclaiming “it is worth noting that Steve Smith is an exceptional batter and even with these strategies there is no guarantee of getting him out.”

The Ashes are due to start on June 16 at Edgbaston.

Originally published as Ashes 2023: Jofra Archer rushed home from IPL under fresh injury cloud