'I feel a bit hopeful': Jofra Archer offers injury update after his ENG-NZ series snub

After getting a huge impetus in the form of Ben Stokes announcing his return from retirement, England may soon welcome the arrival of another starlet. However, all the luck in the world would be needed. Jofra Archer, who played a key role in England winning the ICC ODI World Cup 2019, is hopeful of a return to the side for the upcoming 50-over mayhem, scheduled to begin on October 5, 2023.

3 things you need to know

• Jofra Archer incurred an elbow injury during IPL 2023
• Archer is not included in the 15-men provisional squad of England for World Cup 2023
• Archer has been out the entire English summer

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Jofra Archer is hopeful of a return

Jofra Archer was on course for a timely recovery for the World Cup 2023, but an elbow injury during IPL 2023 elevated the trouble, and as a result, he not only had to withdraw from the tournament but was also ruled out from the whole of English summer. While a considerable time has passed since the injury broke out but Archer's return is still obscure. Speaking to BBC, the fast bowler stated that he is satisfied with the way recuperation is going and is hopeful of a return as well, but needs luck to make it back before the deadline.

[Jofra Archer undergoes warm-up sessions during England's practice sessions; Image: BCCI]

'I am alright. I feel a bit hopeful as well, but right now I am okay with things going as per plan. You just need a little bit of luck and a little bit of hope.'

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What does the chief selector say about Jofra Archer's progress?

Archer is currently not a part of the provisional 15-men squad that the ECB has announced for the ODI World Cup 2023 and is also not a part of the side for the New Zealand series. But England's chief selector Luke Wright addressed the concern regarding Jofra's fitness. He mentioned that while his return for the CWC 2023 is least likely, in the most optimistic cases, an entry at the back end of the tournament could become feasible. Here's what he said:

'We know how desperate we all are to have him - there's no doubt about that - but we've also got to get it right for him. He's been very unfortunate with these injuries.. regarding the World Cup, unfortunately, we're just running out of time. The best-case scenario really at the moment would probably be [that he is] available for the back-end of the tournament.'