England arrived in Pakistan thinking pace was the play, but they left with masala omelette on their faces. Attacks with more variety and left‑arm angles have largely prospered in this Champions Trophy, while Jos Buttler’s team – the worst of the eight on show with nil points – found their exclusively right‑arm attack struggled for a collective impact.
Contrary to the image of the management team, this was underpinned by more than just vibes and buzzwords. During the 2023 World Cup in India, the research told them, the teams which sent down the highest percentage of deliveries faster than 84mph were the most successful, with India (68%) and Australia (61%) the two finalists. England were seventh here – just 33% balls north of the mark – and duly finished seventh overall.
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However, in an era where batters are drilled to cope with extreme pace by slingers letting rip in the nets, the data also warned them all this means little without accuracy and movement (seam has the edge over swing here). England’s quicks were the fastest on show in the group stage but ended it with the worst economy rate – 7.2 runs per over – and the second-worst average, 59.11, after the similarly winless Pakistan.
Not only that, but two of England’s pacers limped out of the tournament with Brydon Carse afflicted by a toe infection and Mark Wood, more worryingly, to see a specialist this week after experiencing “locking” in his left knee during the defeat against Afghanistan. Given the focus now switches to Test cricket, a year of marquee series against India and Australia, it was a reminder of why Ben Stokes wants at least eight pace options.
Will Jofra Archer, previous Test cap in 2021, be among them? Though still short of his best, and having lost some of his movement away from the right-handers, the 29-year-old emerging physically unscathed was a glimmer of optimism amid the rubble. Archer also took all six of his Champions Trophy wickets with the hard new ball, making his switch to the more helpful red Dukes and Kookaburra an encouraging prospect.
“We have seen moments of how great Jof is,” the England head coach, Brendon McCullum, said. “He has been out of competitive cricket for a couple of years, it’s taken a little bit of time to get that rhythm of game play back. But he’s bowled high pace and been able to get a significant workload under his belt throughout this tournament.
“We know how great Jofra is at the very top of his game and to have him back, fit and excited about playing is a real win for English cricket. We’ve got to make sure we’re always doing the right thing by Jof and understanding the risks involved. If you can add him to the battery of fast bowlers you’re trying to build, it only strengthens the squad.
“I will sit down with some of the players after this and work out what their ambitions are. I would imagine Jofra would be keen to play Test cricket this summer.”
Although this is where things have been disrupted. The original plan was for Archer to play for Sussex in the County Championship in April and May – the latest staging post in a detailed programme designed to build him back up for the rigours of Test cricket.
As Archer put it last year, this programme only just stopped short of telling him when he could take a shower. Rob Key, the team director, is quoted as saying that Archer was also comfortable sitting out the Indian Premier League this year to make it happen.
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Things changed when the Board of Control for Cricket in India decreed that anyone sitting out the auction last December would be ineligible for the 2026 IPL also. Given Archer was back playing Twenty20 games for England by this stage, Key could not get an exemption to this on injury grounds. So he went into the auction and was duly signed for £1.18m by Rajasthan Royals.
Get through that tournament, which runs from 22 March to 25 May, and the next block of four-day games for Sussex – away against Durham and at home against Warwickshire – starts on 22 June, midway through the first Test against India. After that torturous run of stress fractures to his right elbow and lower back, it remains a delicate balancing act.
The upside is clear, with Archer’s maiden Test summer six years ago – a spine-tingling Ashes series of 22 wickets at 20 – the reason why England continue to invest heavily. The pace ploy may have failed in Pakistan but, provided Archer’s body stays strong and the graded programme works, there may yet be a payout.
