England have named Archer in their provisional 15-man squad for June’s T20 World Cup, which they must finalise with the ICC by Saturday. He bowled with good pace in the nets on Monday – including to Buttler – and had a lighter training session on Tuesday, in anticipation of his return on Wednesday night.
“He’s got a big smile on his face,” Buttler said. “It’s great to see him back fit and bowling fast, and just being back around the group. I know how much he’s missed that. [Facing him] is never that fun, but he’s looking great.
“You have to temper expectations. He’s been out of international cricket for a long time, and you can never quite replicate that. We all know what a superstar he has been, but manage those expectations: don’t expect too much too soon. He’s got such a high level of skill that he’s always going to perform well, but [he needs to] just enjoy being back playing cricket. As England captain and as a fan, people want to see him back enjoying his cricket.”
Buttler confirmed that Archer will play on Wednesday night – if the rain holds off – and said England will “manage him through” the four-match series. “He’s fully fit, and the medical team will advise how best to manage that,” he said. “[He’ll play] as many as possible: he’s missed a lot of cricket and he’s desperate to get back out there and be a big part of the team.
“Any player of Jofra’s calibre is a huge asset to any team. Absolutely, he makes us a better side and [gives us] a better chance of winning games. But we have to temper expectations, not put too much pressure on him, ease him back in. The great success would be him coming through this series with a big smile on his face and his body holding up. That would be a success to me.”
But he said England will not focus too much on their 50-over struggles over the coming weeks. “It’s a different format. Times move on: there are different chapters in the book. It’s a real honour to go to another World Cup as defending champions again, but it also feels like a new time. There are guys coming into the side who are more established and proper players now. It’s their team as well to take forward.”