Archer confident his IPL experience will help with World Cup pressure

England bowler Jofra Archer believes his experience of playing in pressure situations in the Indian Premier League will only benefit him during his first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The 24-year-old, born in Barbados to a British father, was an eleventh hour selection for the hosts’ 15-man squad after only becoming eligible to play for England in March this year.

But having made a name for himself over the past two years in Twenty20 cricket in India and the Big Bash with his electrifying pace with the ball, England could no longer ignore his claim.

And far from appearing nervous about the prospect of making his World Cup bow, Archer is taking it all in his stride as he insists the IPL has prepared him for the biggest stage of them all.

“I don’t know how I’ll feel really until we get started and then I’ll find out but the boys have done all the preparation we need to do and now we’ll just wait and see,” he said.

“I feel I’ve taken to international cricket pretty well so far, it’s not much different than anything I’ve been doing recently so it doesn’t feel like a big transition.

“I’ve played in pressure situations a few times in India during the IPL so I think I know what to look forward to if we do find ourselves in those positions in England.”

Archer claimed three wickets in England’s final warm-up game against Afghanistan despite bowling just 5.4 overs in the comprehensive nine-wicket victory at The Oval.

While the Sussex sensation admits he would have preferred to get more overs under his belt, he stressed the importance of balancing that with staying fresh for the main event.

“I think I’ve only bowled about 20 overs in a month so ideally I would have liked to have got a few more but on the flip side I still need to rest as I’ve had a long year of cricket,” he said.

“I’ve been playing straight through from October so you have to give and take, but I felt good out there and everyone needed a bit of practice out there.

“I think the spinners bowled for a lot longer than they probably usually would have, but as long as the team get what they need then I’m not too worried.

Archer also played down his role as England’s X-factor – a tag bestowed on him by Virat Kohli after England’s newest fast-bowler name-checked India’s captain as one of the prize wickets.

“I don’t really see it like that,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’m targeting his wicket, Virat Kohli is just one of those people you say you want to get out – you want to get out the best batsmen.

“Some days I feel the pressure is good, you’re human and people deal with it in their own way. I deal with it my way, other people might deal with it their own way.

“I don’t think me being relaxed gives me an advantage. On the flip side of that, some of the guys that are a bit nervous can go out there and put everything in their mind.

“It might just help as if you’re too relaxed you may not remember certain things. I don’t think it’s a big advantage but I guess it helps in some situations though.”

And after his new-ball partnership with Chris Woakes continued to flourish against Afghanistan, Archer revealed the duo have already struck up a good understanding with each other.

“I think we bowl well together, we don’t fight for ends either,” he said “We swing the ball opposite ways so we usually don’t normally end up bowling at the same end, which is nice.”

© ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2019