"Foolish": Michael Atherton On Jofra Archer Breaching Bio-Secure Protocols

Jofra Archer, who ran through the West Indies top order in the second innings at Southampton, was barred from playing the second Test for breaching the biosecurity protocol. A spokesperson from the English board said that Jofra Archer breached the code of conduct while travelling between the Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford as he stopped on the way to his flat at Brighton.

As a result, Jofra Archer will have to go a mandatory five day isolation period, during which he will be tested twice. He will be a part of the team again only if both the tests turn out to be negative. During a novel coronavirus pandemic situation the step taken by Jofra Archer has been widely criticised among the cricket fraternity.

Former England cricketer Michael Atherton said that the move was foolish for a number of reasons, the primary being it costed him a place in the side. Atherton also said that he has thrown England’s plan of disarray with the step he has taken before a vital Test with England already trailing 0-1 to the West Indies.

“It’s very foolish for a number of reasons. One, it cost him a place in the team. Secondly it’s thrown England’s plans into disarray, a vital Test match that they must win to try and win this series,” Atherton said on the Sky Sports Cricket broadcast.

“And thirdly it’s put at risk all the work that ECB have done. These six Test matches, three against West Indies, three against Pakistan, they’ve had to do a tremendous amount of work to get these games on.” The ongoing series against the West Indies and the following duel against Pakistan next month are being played amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The first Test against the Caribbean side in Southampton passed off without any incident.

Archer played his eighth Test at Southampton. He was picked up ahead of Stuart Broad in the Test match. The Barbadian has picked up 33 wickets with an average of 28 in the longest format of the game.