England head coach Brendon McCullum has come in support of fast bowler Jofra Archer after questions were raised about the pacer’s fiery spell during England’s loss in Brisbane. The England coach said that Archer was responding to the situation and showed intensity despite the team being in a losing position.
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 would be a major factor in the Ashes. However, the bowler failed to deliver for the team in the first two Tests.
Jofra Archer managed only three wickets at an average of 57, leading to concerns about his form. His bowling performance was far from the threat England hoped he would pose after all the early excitement.
Jofra Archer unleashed the quickest spell of his career and exchanged words with Steve Smith on the final day of the Day-Night Test. Australia were only chasing a small target of 65. James Anderson questioned why that same intensity wasn’t shown earlier when Australia scored 511 in the first innings.
Brendon McCullum said that it’s unfair to judge a fast bowler on how fast he bowls at any given moment. He argued that Archer would have faced harsher criticism had he simply gone through the motions at a reduced pace.
"Jofra is good. He can say what he wants but if you mope around bowling 75 mile an hour in that last innings then the narrative [would] be very different right in the end," McCullum said.
We Haven’t Been Outplayed in This Game - Brendon McCullum
McCullum said that England’s players were encouraged to stay positive and show some fight despite being behind in the Test. With only around 60 runs left for Australia to chase, he defended Archer’s decision to bowl with extra aggression in that moment.
"The skipper asked our boys to not mope around and not to feel sorry for yourself and we haven't been outplayed in this game but we have an opportunity over 60 odd runs to fire some bullets and see where we land. I have no problem with him stepping up to that level. It is impossible to bowl 150 odd every single time here," McCullum added.
That's What We Expect from Jofra Archer - Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum compared Jofra Archer to legendary West Indian pacers who also varied their pace depending on the moment. He added that Archer has been fully committed, even if luck hasn’t gone his way so far.
"Some of the old West Indian boys back in the day they used to operate up and down the gears as well and Jofra will be no different in this Test match when he gets the chance. I think he's been really good he hasn't had a lot of luck so far. He's all in."
"He bowled 25 overs the other day and chased the ball as hard as I've seen to the boundary on two occasions. He didn't run it down but that's the level of investment, the level of engagement and the level of commitment that Joff's got. That's what we expect from him."
Also read: India stick to 'No-Handshake' stance despite ICC request ahead of U19 match vs Pakistan
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