Former England cricketer, Steve Harmison has touted young pacer Jofra Archer as the most exciting talent for the country.
Additionally, Harmison has also mentioned that Archer is the next exciting talent after Kevin Pietersen.
Archer debuted for England in 2019 and helped them level the Ashes 2-2 and win the 2019 World Cup as well.
However, injuries have continued to plague the pacer and he is out of cricketing action for a long time now.
Back in 2005, Kevin Pietersen burst onto the English scene and helped his side win the Ashes for the first time since 1987.
Says Harmison,
It’s great to see Jofra back playing, for him more than anything else, I’m not bothered about England at this moment in time, he can play for MI Cape Town and then the Mumbai Indians.
Adding further, Harmison says,
I just want to see the boy back playing cricket. He is one of the most exciting talents I’ve seen in cricket for a long long time. Probably, from an England point of view, he’s the most exciting talent since Kevin Pietersen.
Harmison recalls a young Kevin Pietersen and how he changed England with his batting
Moreover, Steve Harmison also recalls the day he saw Kevin Pietersen for the first time.
Pietersen had just moved in from South Africa and was going to play for England for the very first time.
I was in the group when that big lad from South Africa came over with his daft haircut and you’re thinking ‘who on earth is this?’ and ‘what on earth is this?’ and then it was probably the most exciting few years that English cricket had, that 2005 period, where KP took the world by surprise.
With England having a packed schedule this year, Harmison wants a rotation between Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.
He feels that Archer would not be able to bowl in all 5 Tests of the Ashes and that’s why he and Mark Wood should exchange reponsibilities.
Additionally, Harmison also says that if Jofra Archer bowls 18 out of 20 overs in ODIs, that means he is fit enough to play.
I don’t think he can play in all five Tests, I don’t think it’s possible for him or Mark Wood to play in all five but it’s so good to see him back playing. If he can bowl 18 overs out of 20 in two of the three ODIs that are coming up in Bloemfontein and Kimberley then it will be a good step towards a positive recovery for Jofra.
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