Manchester: England batsman Ollie Pope has issued a warning to the West Indies team ahead of the third and final Test beginning Friday at the Old Trafford as he revealed that speedster Jofra Archer has been bowling well in the nets and that the players are excited to have him back.
Archer was axed from the team for the second Test after he broke the bio-secure bubble in Southampton to visit his parents. Following two negative COVID-19 tests, Archer rejoined the squad and remains in contention for a place in the playing XI, after head coach Chris Silverwood said they will be playing their strongest attack.
Pope stated the players are happy with the return of Archer and also gave an insight as to how he has been during net sessions.
"Jofra Archer has been bowling seriously well in the nets, with pace and accuracy, and it's great to have him back with the squad," Pope wrote in his column for a website.
"As someone who has played a similar number of Tests to Jofra, I can relate to how difficult it can be to adapt to the added scrutiny that comes with being an international cricketer."
Pope was pointing towards Archer's admission recently where he had said he was being judged like a criminal in the aftermath of the mistake he committed. He had also revealed receiving a racist message on social media while being under self-isolation in Manchester.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain had earlier raised concerns regarding Archer's frame of mind ahead of the third Test.
"It can't be healthy, and I'm sure the ECB understand they have a duty of care towards him now," Hussain wrote in his column for a newspaper.
"Someone has to put an arm around his shoulder, and make sure he's OK, and it was good to hear that Joe Root and Ben Stokes have done just that.
"As things stand, I don't see how he can play in Friday's third Test, when England will need him to be on top of his game," he added.
The three-match series currently stands at balance with both the teams winning one match each. After West Indies won the first Test in Southampton by four wickets, England fought back in the following game and won by 113 runs in Manchester.
England will be eager to win the summit clash as it will ensure that the Wisden Trophy gets back to them, while on the other hand, a win for West Indies or a draw final match will see the visitors retaining the trophy as Jason Holder’s troops had earlier won the series in Caribbean Islands.
