Jofra Archer "the most naturally gifted bowler" says Ben Stokes

The Rajasthan Royals pair could yet appear in the same England side for this summer's World Cup on home soil

Ben Stokes has described Rajasthan Royals teammate Jofra Archer as among the most "naturally gifted" bowlers in world cricket and believes England have a big decision to make as they prepare to name their World Cup squad.

The 24-year-old is expected to be among the 15-man party for the showcase tournament after a change in the England and Wales Cricket Board's eligibility rules, despite having played just 14 List A matches in his career.

Archer's main exploits have come in various T20 leagues across the world and is currently featuring for the Royals in the Indian Premier League.

In seven outings, the Sussex seamer has taken seven wickets at 27.85 in what has been a modest return when compared to his Big Bash displays for the Hobart Hurricanes.

Stokes has had the opportunity to observe Archer at close quarters during the IPL and feels both the Royals and England have an extraordinary talent at their disposal.

GLOBAL GAME

"Jofra makes any team better," the Durham man told the BBC's The Doosra podcast. 

"He is the most naturally gifted bowler I’ve seen and I don’t think he realises how good he is.

"Some of the things he can do at the click of a finger are just ‘wow’ – it’s pretty special to watch. 

"You ask him to do something and he nails it straight away. 

"To have somebody at the pace he bowls and the skills he has… the selectors are going to be scratching their heads and it’s a great time to be an England fan and an England player."

^{Stokes will play a major role for England this summer}

Archer's ability in the latter overs in-particular is likely to see him included in England's World Cup plans, at the expense of one of the players who has led the revival under Eoin Morgan since the group stage exit at the 2015 tournament Down Under.

Asked whether the right-arm bowled should be involved this summer, Stokes added: "It’s a tough question. 

"But it’s a great position to be in as an England team when you’ve got a player with the skill level Jofra’s got."

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