Jofra Archer hails impact of Cricket World Cup victory on nation

Relaxed in the build-up, destructive in delivery – Jofra Archer talks about cricket in exactly the same way he plays it.

So in a year that’s seen him win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and play his first Ashes series, an autumn featuring The Hundred launch and his maiden overseas tours doesn’t faze him one bit.

It’s a philosophy that, so far in his young international career, has served him in good stead.

And when you’re a fast-bowling hotshot who is perhaps the most exciting England bowler in a generation, why change the habit of a lifetime?

“I haven’t actually had that much time to reflect on it,” he says on his World Cup heroics, arguably the biggest day in English cricket in many a year.

“From the day we won it I’ve been constantly going home, then training, then home, then training.

“But I know how special a day it was. Even seeing the replays and stuff on TV you can see how special a day it was – not just to us, but to the whole country.

“There was literally a buzz across England for literally two weeks after the final, so we know exactly how special it was to the country.”

Such is the hype around Archer, a man for whom greatness was thrust upon before wearing an England shirt, it’s easy to forget that his international career remains firmly ahead of him.

A quick-fire settling-in period has already been and gone, thrust into the World Cup squad after a handful of games and rested for a Test match, against Ireland, before he’d even played one.

An Ashes call was just the latest step on that journey, fierce battles against Steve Smith and Matthew Wade among some of the highlights of the summer.

Not that the 24-year-old was getting too drawn in.

“You probably do get into a battle with whoever on the day, and anything that helps you to become a little bit better, you do,” added Archer, speaking on his return to Horsham CC as part of the ECB’s Winners' World Cup Trophy Tour.

“I guess one of the lessons that I’ll take from it is just how long Test cricket is.

“I just feel like there’s always a bit more time than you think, and cricket’s the same.

“I wouldn’t say it’s that much different from first-class cricket – batters have a bit longer and the wickets may be a bit flatter, but the process doesn’t change and it’s the same cricket.”

Far from coming across as oblivious or ignorant to the attention, Archer is a man for whom the spotlight naturally falls on, an X-Factor star who almost takes wickets by reputation alone.

Come next month and the hard winter toil will be upon him, Test series in New Zealand and South Africa an early marker of his five-day credentials having played all international cricket in England to date.

But this is Jofra and Tests are tests by name alone in his world. Come November and England’s very own relaxed destroyer will be doing what he does best.

“I haven’t really set myself any goals for over the winter,” he added.

“I guess I’ll learn a bit [from Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson], but I know what I need to do and I know how it works for me.

“I probably won’t bombard them – I’ll probably ask them a few questions but I think I know what works for me and what I need to do.

“I want to get in the team for every game, for every single series – it’s a tough team to get into and it’s a tough team to stay in, but I try my best.

“I don’t want to look too far ahead.”

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