England head coach Brendon McCullum has come out in support of fast bowler Joffra Archer after questions were raised over the fast bowler’s aggressive spells during England’s defeat in Brisbane. The England coach said that Archer was reacting to the situation and showed intensity despite the team being on the losing side.
England arrived in Australia with high expectations for their pace attack, especially with Archer returning to the lineup. He looked dangerous in the first innings of the opening Test, raising hopes that he will be a major factor in the Ashes. However, the bowlers failed to perform well for the team in the first two Tests.
Joffra Archer could take only three wickets at an average of 57, which raised concerns about his form. His bowling performance was far from the threat England had hoped he would pose after all the initial excitement.
He can say what he wants but… – Brendon McCullum defends Jofra Archer
Jofra Archer bowled the fastest spell of his career and exchanged words with Steve Smith on the final day of the day-night Test. Australia was chasing a small target of only 65 runs. James Anderson questioned why the same intensity was not shown earlier when Australia scored 511 runs in the first innings.
Brendon McCullum said that it is unfair to judge a fast bowler on the basis of how fast he bowls at any given time. He argued that if Archer had worked at a slower pace he would have faced harsher criticism.
“Jofra is good. He can say what he wants but if you are disappointed with bowling 75mph in that last innings then the story [would] “Just fall apart at the end,” McCullum said.
We did not lose this game – Brendon McCullum
McCullum said that despite falling behind in the Test, England players were encouraged to remain positive and show some fight. He defended Archer’s decision to bowl with extra aggression at that moment when Australia had only about 60 runs left to chase.
McCullum said, “The captain told our players not to hang around and feel sorry for themselves and we are not out in this game, but we have a chance of 60-plus runs to fire some balls and see where we end up. I have no problem with him stepping up to that level. It is impossible to bowl more than 150 balls every time here.”
This is what we expect from Jofra Archer – Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum compared Joffra Archer to the legendary fast bowlers of West Indies, who used to change their pace according to the moment. He said that Archer is fully committed, even though luck has not been on his side so far.
“Some of the older West Indies boys were moving up and down the gears at that time too and if Jofra gets his chance, he will be no different in this Test match. I think he is really good, he has not had too much luck so far. He is absolutely ready.”
“He bowled 25 overs the other day and chased the ball as hard as I’ve seen all the way to the boundary on two occasions. He didn’t knock it down but it’s the level of investment, the level of involvement and the level of commitment that Joff has got. That’s what we expect from him.”
Also read: India stick to ‘no-handshake’ stance despite ICC request ahead of U19 vs Pakistan match
