South Africa v England: Jofra Archer return headlines one-day series
- Published
'I almost booked a ticket to Australia' - Archer on watching England while injured
Jofra Archer's return headlines an otherwise low-key one-day series in South Africa that begins a crucial year for the England men's team.
Fast bowler Archer, 27, is set to play for England for the first time in almost two years on Friday (11:00 GMT).
The three-match series begins a 2023 in which England will look to defend the 50-over World Cup and regain the Ashes.
The opener is in Bloemfontein, as is Sunday's second game, before a finale in Kimberley on Wednesday.
The series is rescheduled from 2020, when England left South Africa after a number of positive coronavirus tests.
In order for it to be played, the inaugural season of the South Africa T20 league has taken an eight-day break and will recommence on 2 February.
Jofra Archer (left) has not played international cricket for 22 months
This tour and England's limited-overs trip to Bangladesh in March - also rescheduled from 2021 - come either side of a two-Test series in New Zealand in February, and only a handful of players are involved in both red and white-ball squads.
England, world champions in both limited-overs formats, will defend the 50-over title they won in 2019 in India in October and November.
Archer will get 'better and better'
Elbow and back injuries have prevented Archer from playing for England since a T20 series in India at the beginning of 2021.
He made his return to competitive cricket earlier this month in the South African T20 league, taking eight wickets in five matches for MI Cape Town.
The Sussex man bowled the super over in the final that helped England win the World Cup in 2019 and he would likely be the leader of the attack in India later this year if he can stay fit.
He has expressed his desire to play in the Ashes, but his short-term future lies in limited-overs cricket, both for England and in the Indian Premier League.
"It's great to have Jofra back, fit and playing cricket again," said England captain Jos Buttler. "I think I speak on behalf of everyone - he's such an exciting guy to have back on the field.
"As an England captain, to have him in the team is brilliant. I'm sure he'll get better and better as he comes back.
"There's no expectation from my side on Jofra. He will come back and perform brilliantly because that is what he is able to do.
"He's coming back after a long time. The intensity in international cricket is different and he has had some significant injuries. It would be naïve to think it wouldn't take him a little bit of time to get up to 100%. It's just fantastic to see him fit and back playing again."
World Cup countdown starts now
England have played only 12 ODIs since the summer of 2021 and three of those were a bizarre series in Australia following their successful T20 World Cup campaign.
The series in South Africa and Bangladesh are England's last in terms of catching up from disruption caused by Covid-19 so, in theory, there should be less need for players to have to be shared between the Test and limited-overs sides.
Still, the layout of England's year - they play no ODIs between March and September - means every fixture serves as vital preparation for the World Cup.
A combination of injuries, rest and Test selection have left England without Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood in South Africa.
Whereas England entered the 2019 World Cup with a side that had been settled for some time, there are vacancies in the middle order following the recent retirements of former captain Eoin Morgan and Test skipper Ben Stokes, even if Stokes himself and white-ball coach Matthew Mott have left the door open for the all-rounder to play at the World Cup.
"We have a World Cup nine months away and don't have loads of games before that," said Buttler.
"They're all really vital games to give guys chances and exposure to the ODI format, and opportunities to nail down a place in the XI or 15 for the World Cup.
"There are two big names, Morgan and Stokes, who are not around any more. They are big holes to fill, so that's exciting for guys to have that opportunity to put their hand up and stake a claim for those spots."
Roy still looking for runs
Opener Jason Roy is still searching for runs, having gone 14 international innings without registering a half-century and losing his place in the T20 squad before the World Cup.
Bairstow will return at the top of the order when he recovers from a broken leg, leaving Roy under pressure from the likes of Phil Salt, Dawid Malan, Alex Hales and Will Jacks.
Salt and Malan are in South Africa, though Salt has been suffering from illness and could miss Friday's game.
Harry Brook and Ben Duckett, who have both impressed in Test and T20 cricket, have the opportunity to press their claims in the ODI format before joining the Test team in New Zealand.
Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali continue as the frontline spinners, though with the World Cup taking place in India, England may need to find a third slow bowler as cover.
With Wood absent, Olly Stone joins Archer as a high-pace option, alongside regular white-ball seamers Chris Woakes, Reece Topley, David Willey and T20 World Cup player of the tournament Sam Curran.