Kemar Roach Fires Warning At Jofra Archer Ahead Of Test Series
Published - 15 Jun 2020, 12:48 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:30 AM
Ahead of the Test series against England, West Indies pacer Kemar Roach has fired a warning at Jofra Archer, saying that there will be “no friendships” between the West Indies players and the England pacer. Jofra Archer has West Indies roots. The England star was born in Barbados before representing West Indies Under-19s before opting to play for England.
He represented England for the first time last year and made an instant impression by helping the team win its first-ever World Cup. Jofra Archer was the highest wicket-taker for England in the tournament and had also bowled the famous super over in the final.
The right-arm pacer is now gearing up to face West Indies for the very first time in Tests. And Kemar Roach has made it clear that he won’t be getting any favourable treatment from the visitors.
“It is all about winning and playing hard cricket,” Kemar Roach said.
“Jofra has made his decision and is doing a fantastic job for his career. There is no friendships with this series,” he added.
Jofra Archer has friends in the West Indies’ 30-man touring party, notably batsman Shai Hope and bowler Chemar Holder. He also played alongside bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Preston McSween for West Indies Under-19s.
When asked whether there would be extra words for Archer on the field, Kemar Roach said: “We will see when that comes around. We will definitely see.”
The three-match Test series will be the first international series since cricket came to a halt in March due to the pandemic. The games will be played in empty stadiums and at bio-secure venues. The first match will be in Southampton while Manchester will host the next two matches.
And ahead of the showdown, Kemar Roach is expecting his team to employ the same aggressive bowling methods that it used to beat England 2-1 at home last year.
“I don’t think our mode of attack will change much,” he said.
“We saw [England’s batsmen] in the Caribbean and it is pretty fresh in our minds. Once we get stuck into them we stand a great chance of beating England,” he added.
