The fast bowler has not played any professional cricket since May 2023 while various injuries across his career have restricted him to just 15 T20I caps
England are optimistic Jofra Archer will be fit to play in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, according to managing director Rob Key.
The fast bowler has not played any professional cricket since May 2023, when he suffered a reoccurrence of a stress fracture in his elbow during the IPL, while his most recent outing for England came against Bangladesh last March.
Due to his various injuries, the 28-year-old has been restricted to 15 T20Is for England since making his debut in 2019, including a two-year absence between March 2021 and March 2023 which saw him miss the 2022 T20 World Cup triumph.
He has taken 18 T20I wickets with an economy of 7.65 while across his T20 career, he has picked up 169 wickets in 135 appearances.
Archer hasn't played for England since March 2023 [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]
England are the defending T20 World Cup champions [Isuru Sameera/Getty Images]
Archer trained with England during their December tour of the Caribbean but is having his workload closely managed by the ECB.
"Our plan is the T20 World Cup, building him up slowly," Key told the Tailenders podcast. "I saw him bowl in the Caribbean and it was like he'd never been away.
"I don't want to get back to this thing where he plays and then goes down again.
"He wanted to play in the IPL, but we said not this time. Hopefully the years he has missed he can add to the end of his career. He is such a talent."
Key's words echo those of head coach, Matthew Mott, who has previously said there is room in England's 15-strong squad for both Archer and Ben Stokes if they are fit.
Speaking in December, Mott said: "In terms of Jofra, you've just got absolute box office pace, change of pace, bowl any over in the innings, bowl your super over, bowl your last over. Him on the park is massive, everyone would agree with that."
England will begin their T20 World Cup title defence against Scotland on June 4 before facing Australia (June 8), Oman (June 13) and Namibia (June 15).
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