Archer Makes Mark On Return As England Clinches T20I Win Against Pakistan

Jofra Archer's return to the England cricket team has been eagerly anticipated, and while he may not immediately replicate his previous impact, captain Jos Buttler is optimistic about his contributions following a lengthy injury lay-off.

Archer marked his first England appearance in over a year by taking two wickets, helping secure a 23-run victory over Pakistan in their T20I match at Edgbaston.

With the T20 World Cup approaching, Buttler expressed his delight at having Archer back but emphasised the need to manage his workload carefully. "I thought he was brilliant; you can see the emotion, taking wickets again, is fantastic," said Buttler, who scored 84 off 54 deliveries in the first innings.

"He's not just going to be the Jofra Archer of old straight away, but a really positive performance. It's absolutely trying to get overs into Jofra but looking after him as well. I thought the whole bowling group was brilliant."

Fireworks from Buttler
Wickets for Jofra ☝
A big win in Birmingham @Vitality_UK | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/2Xq9rM7Jlx

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 26, 2024

Buttler's innings included eight fours and three sixes, making it the second-highest score by an England captain in a T20I, following Eoin Morgan's 91 against New Zealand in 2019. Reflecting on his performance, Buttler said, "You always want to be playing well. I feel like I'm hitting the ball well, which is great."

Pakistan's Chase

Pakistan started their chase of 184 strongly with Babar Azam scoring 32 and Fakhar Zaman hitting a quickfire 45 off just 21 balls. However, Babar was dismissed lbw by Moeen Ali, and Fakhar was caught by Harry Brook off Liam Livingstone's delivery, leading to Pakistan's collapse.

"Mostly we are flexible and everyone knows their role," Babar commented after the defeat. "Before the series, we decided to go with these roles, so we're clear. The way Fakhar dominated after the early wickets fell. I think if me and Fakhar had batted for four or five more overs, then we could have won."