Early this month, fast bowler Jofra Archer was ruled out of the IPL 2023 season, which was a big blow to Mumbai Indians (MI). Archer only played in five games for the team led by Rohit Sharma and took only two wickets at a cost of 9.50 runs per over. With the stress fracture in his right arm coming back, he will also miss the English summer and the Ashes in 2023.
When Archer wore the MI shirt, people had high hopes for him. After almost two years away from international cricket, the 28-year-old didn’t look like he was in his element in the IPL 2023. He didn’t bowl fast and didn’t look dangerous with the ball. Little Master Sunil Gavaskar has been criticizing Archer left, right, and center since he got back home and the England Cricket Board (ECB) is keeping an eye on his health.
“MI paid a lot of money for him, but what has he done?”
Gavaskar asked in his Mid-Day piece, “What do Mumbai Indians know about Jofra Archer? They took a chance on him even though they knew he was hurt and wouldn’t be able to play until this season. They gave a lot of money to get him, but what has he done for them in return? He didn’t look like he was in perfect shape, and he should have told the company. They didn’t know until he showed up and couldn’t bowl as fast as he usually does.
He also said, “He went abroad for treatment in the middle of the tournament, which is what his country’s cricket board seems to have said.” So he never got completely healthy, but he still came over. If he was committed to the franchise, which probably pays him more than the ECB, he should have stayed until the end, even if he wasn’t going to play, to show his dedication to the franchise. He has instead chosen to fly back to the UK.”
Gavaskar added, “A day later, a story came out that he was going to sign a multi-million-pound deal with Mumbai Indians to play for their team in the different leagues around the world. This has to be the best way to get someone’s attention. Mumbai Indians are not so stupid that they would sign a horse that can’t run to run in a race. Mumbai Indians will not be happy about this turn of events, and since they have done well in the tournament without him, he will be lucky to get his full IPL fee. If he does, he should give half of it to his favorite charity.
“It makes no sense to pay even one rupee for a player, no matter how well-known he is, if he won’t be there for the whole competition. The player has to decide whether he wants to play for an IPL team or for his country. If he chooses his country over the IPL, that’s great, but if he chooses the IPL, he has to stick to his obligations and not make an excuse to leave early, especially as the time for making the playoffs gets closer.
Archer’s success has been hampered by worries about his health. After being part of England’s first ODI World Cup team, his numbers have only gone down since then. In 2021, a stress fracture in his right arm stopped him from moving forward. The next year, he got a stress fracture in his back. Now, Archer is racing against the clock to get better and get back into the English lineup in time for their ODI World Cup defense in India later this year.
