England mull Archer's World Cup chances

Jofra Archer could be one step closer to fulfilling his dream of a World Cup berth for England with reports emerging he is on the fast-track for the showpiece 50-over tournament.

Archer rose to international prominence last summer after a string of incredible performances with the Hobart Hurricanes in BBL|07. He has since enhanced that reputation in T20 competitions in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as for his home county Sussex.

He didn't quite hit the same heights in BBL|08 but was still a key performer for the Hurricanes as they topped the table for the regular season before bowing out in the first semi-final to the Melbourne Stars.

He claimed 18 wickets in 15 matches with an economy rate of 7.53 runs per over, bowling 56.1 of a maximum 60 overs in the tournament.

Only championship-winning Melbourne Renegades leg-spinner Cameron Boyce bowled more overs than Archer in BBL|08.

With England preparing for a five-match ODI series against the Windies in the Caribbean, Archer's name continues to be linked with Eoin Morgan's side, and the captain admitted there was a decision looming on his future.

"I've played against Jofra on numerous occasions and he comes with a big reputation," Morgan told reporters in Barbados ahead of tomorrow's first ODI.

"That reputation is justified because he’s an extremely talented young cricketer.

"He’s raw but he’s performed in big tournaments around the world like the IPL and the Big Bash.

"As soon as he qualifies we’ll make a decision on him and think about what direction we’re going to go in."

Reports in the British tabloids claim without sources that "senior figures in English cricket are very keen to use Archer as soon as possible".

Born in Barbados to a father with an English passport, Archer moved to England after he turned 18 and, under the rules in place at that time, had not expected to qualify for international cricket until 2022. That changed last November when the England and Wales Cricket Board slashed the previous seven-year eligibility requirements to just three years (with a minimum stipulation of 210 days per year in the country).

"I felt great but that does not cement anything," Archer told cricket.com.au in January when asked about the ECB's rule change.

"It doesn't guarantee I'll play this year, next year or the year after, it just means that I could be.

"It is good news – I thought I was going to have to wait another couple of years, but at the same time it does not determine that I'm going to get picked this year or next year.

"I might still have to wait a long time. We'll see."

Archer will meet the residency criteria in late March, which will be the trigger for England to officially involve him in their World Cup planning, with all countries not required to name their final squads until April 23.

"The aim of the side is to continuously better ourselves and the end goal is to be contenders for the World Cup. If picking Jofra ties in with everything else he’ll have a chance," Morgan said.

"We’re not going to bring anybody in who would upset five different people and be a massive thorn in everybody’s side.

"His biggest attributes are death bowling and pace. But we do have two guys who can bowl 90mph (145kph) in Liam Plunkett and Mark Wood. Jofra’s young and exciting so there’s a lot of talk about him."

Archer has many backers, including former England captain turned pundit Nasser Hussain, who expects him to be included in England's final World Cup 15.

"The only problem with Archer is that you don’t know what he’s like in a high-pressure situation, say in a World Cup semi-final with Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the crease," Hussain told Sky Sports.

"You should always look to improve your squad, and I think Archer would improve this squad."

It was revealed after the Hurricanes had exited BBL|08 that Archer had been managing "a little tear in his upper back" during the tournament.

"(Archer's injury has) been around for a little while (and) it started to bubble away at the end of the season," Hurricanes coach Adam Griffith explained.

"We got a scan done when he got back from Canberra (on the Monday before the semi-final) and while there wasn't any more damage, it was just there.

"But once you cross the line, you're fit to play. Once we got on the ground, everyone was good to go."

England's World Cup preparations take in the five-match ODI series that begins in Archer's native Barbados this week, but his first involvement could be a one-off ODI against Ireland in Dublin on May 3 before a five-match series against Pakistan.

He could then face Australia in the first of England's World Cup warm-up matches before the tournament opener against South Africa in 100 days' time at The Oval on May 30.