England's tearaway pacer Jofra Archer will make his eagerly-awaited return to international cricket with the first T20I of the four-match series between the reigning T20 world champions and Pakistan at Headingley in Leeds on Wednesday, May 22.
England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler has confirmed that Archer will play in the T20I series opener and it will be the first time he will don the England jersey since March 14, 2023.
"He's fully fit, and the medical team will advise how best to manage that," Buttler was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. "(He'll play) as many as possible: he's missed a lot of cricket and he's desperate to get back out there and be a big part of the team.
"Any player of Jofra's calibre is a huge asset to any team. Absolutely, he makes us a better side and (gives us) a better chance of winning games. But we have to temper expectations, not put too much pressure on him, ease him back in. The great success would be him coming through this series with a big smile on his face and his body holding up. That would be a success to me."
Archer, 29, made big headlines when he burst onto the international scene for England. The right-arm pacer gave some of the established names in the international circuit a run for their money and hence was fast-tracked into the red-ball format.
Plagued with an elbow injury, Archer has spent more than one year on the sidelines and hence is excited to be back in action for England. However, Buttler has made it clear that people should not expect "too much too soon" from the Barbados-born.
"He's got a big smile on his face," Buttler said. "It's great to see him back fit and bowling fast, and just being back around the group. I know how much he's missed that. (Facing him) is never that fun, but he's looking great.
"You have to temper expectations. He's been out of international cricket for a long time, and you can never quite replicate that. We all know what a superstar he has been, but manage those expectations: don't expect too much too soon. He's got such a high level of skill that he's always going to perform well, but (he needs to) just enjoy being back playing cricket. As England captain and as a fan, people want to see him back enjoying his cricket," he added.
