Injured fast bowler reiterates commitment to Test cricket despite recurrence of elbow injury
Bresnan, the seam-bowling allrounder who was part of the England side that went to No. 1 in the ICC’s Test rankings in 2011, has suffered with elbow injuries throughout his career, undergoing surgery three times and struggling to regain his pace afterwards.
Archer, writing in his Daily Mail column, said that the pair had spoken recently about their respective experiences.
“Tim Bresnan had a similar problem, and we spoke about the issue which made me a bit nervous, I must admit,” he said. “But I’m sure it will be fine in the long run, and I’m grateful that the injury doesn’t stop me going about my daily business. It’s not as if I’m limping around, or anything like that.
“When I got the news that I’d be out for the rest of 2021 because I had suffered another stress fracture in my elbow, it was pretty tough to take. But I’ve always been of the view that everything happens for a reason, and the injury doesn’t change the way I look at my career.”
Archer also insisted that he remains focused on resuming his Test career, rather than specialising in white-ball cricket.
“I’ve said many times before that Test cricket is the most important format to me and nothing has changed in that respect,” he said. “It’s frustrating to be sitting out an important series against India, as well as not being to make the trip to Australia this winter – not to mention the Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE.
“If I do end up with another stress fracture, I may have a different view on things as regards to my future. But for the moment, I’m still only 26 and I think my best years as a Test cricketer are ahead of me.”
“I don’t want this thing hanging over me. I want to be out there again, taking wickets and helping win games for England,” he said. “Having said that, I’m trying to be cautious about when I make my comeback, but I guess there’s a chance I’ll be ready in time for England’s three-Test series against West Indies in the Caribbean in March.
“But I can’t make any promises, and I’ll be seeing a specialist soon about the elbow.”