'Selfishly' excited to see Archer back on pitch, says Buttler

Archer will be returning to competitive cricket for the first time in almost 18 months, representing MI Cape Town in the South Africa T20 Cricket League. The England pacer had been sidelined since March 2021 due to elbow problems and a stress fracture.

England limited overs captain Jos Buttler expressed his excitement on Archer's comeback in the inaugural edition of SA20. Archer's Cape Town will face Buttler's Paarl on Tuesday, in Cape Town. Ahead of the game, Buttler revealed that 'selfishly' he was looking forward to Archer's return due to his England captaincy.

"You know, selfishly, I'm excited to see Jofra Archer back on the pitch. Jofra has been out for a long time due to some injuries and selfishly, as an England white-ball captain, I'm excited to see him back and available, and playing cricket", said Buttler, through Paarl Royals' Twitter handle.

"So I think that is a treat for everyone around the world. The x-factor player is back on the field. So, we'll have to be at your best to combat him because he's a superstar. I think it is a great moment that he is back playing cricket competitively", he concluded. Archer has represented England in 13 Tests, 17 ODIs and 12 T20Is, taking 42, 30 and 14 wickets respectively.

Archer made his England debut on May 3 2019, in an ODI vs Ireland. He won the 2019 Cricket World Cup with England, playing in all the games as they went on to win the final, where he bowled the super over after the match ended in a tie against New Zealand. He was also named in the tournament's Team of the Tournament. He will be hoping to put in a good show in SA20, with the tournament scheduled to be played from January 10 to February 11.