He Is A Real Entertainer When He Bowls Like This: Ian Bell Lauds Jofra Archer Following His Match-Winning Spell

Former England cricketer Ian Bell has heaped high praise on pacer Jofra Archer following his match-winning performance against India in the T20I series opener in Ahmedabad on Friday.

Archer claimed 3/23 in his spell of four overs which included crucial scalps of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya.

Archer has been one of the elite white-ball bowlers of the modern-era whether it’s in franchise cricket or in the international arena. His success in shorter formats, however, has weighed him down in Test match cricket, feels Ian Bell.

Bell reckoned that replicating the kind of consistency that Jofra has displayed in shorter formats is tough to replicate in Test matches as it is not easy to bowl over 90 mph for prolonged periods.

Archer has been criticized by former England cricketers like Michael Vaughan for his performances with the red ball but according to Ian Bell, England needs to find a way to manage his workload in order to get the best out of him.

“I feel for Jofra sometimes. I think the expectations certainly weighs a lot on him since the first time he burst on the scene in franchise and international cricket. I think the expectation is every day he is gonna produce what he did today. We know in Test match cricket, that kind of consistency, to bowl 90 miles an hour is not easy,” Ian Bell told ESPNCricinfo.

Ian Bell admitted that while Jofra Archer hasn’t quite replicated his returns in the longer format but he hailed the Caribbean speedster for the manner in which he has impinged his status as one of the best in the world in the shorter formats.

He said that when Archer bowls as he did in the first T20I, he is a real entertainer and that England is lucky to have his services at their disposal.

“So, England have to manage his workload to get the best out of him. We probably haven’t seen that kind of consistency in Test cricket but when it comes to white-ball cricket, he has been outstanding. For a young bowler, who hasn’t played lots of international cricket, he is an outstanding performer and when he is bowling like he did today, any team would want to have him in their side, and we (England) are very very lucky. I think we got a little bit of impatient in Test match cricket but he is a real entertainer when he bowls like this,” said Ian Bell.

Jofra Archer was adjudged the ‘Player of the Match’ in the first T20I and England will hope that the speedster continues his stellar performance in the upcoming fixtures.

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