MI Cape Town sign Jofra Archer as wildcard player for SA20
Nov 23, 2022
Johannesburg [South Africa], November 24 : England pacer Jofra Archer looks set to return to cricket in South Africa after becoming MI Cape Town's wildcard signing for the maiden season of the SA20.
Archer, England's leading wicket-taker and Super Over hero in their 2019 ODI World Cup victory, has not played an international match since March 2021 due to a long-standing elbow injury, followed by a stress fracture of the lower back.
He has spent the last two weeks in the UAE as part of an England Lions training camp and made an encouraging return to action on Wednesday in a three-day warm-up match against England's Test team, hitting Zak Crawley in the head with a stinging bouncer in the first of nine dangerous overs.
Despite knowing he would be unavailable, Archer was signed by the Mumbai Indians in the last IPL auction for INR 8 crore [US$ 1.06 million at the time]. He has been re-signed for the 2023 season. And he was presented as a wildcard signing by MI Cape Town - the SA20 team and Mumbai Indians - on Wednesday evening.
The clash between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals will open the inaugural session of the SA20 in Cape Town, with Johannesburg's Wanderers Stadium due to host the final of the inaugural season of the 33-match tournament.
The SA20 will take place from January 10 to February 11, 2023, but it will be interrupted from January 25 to February 1 since South Africa will host England for three World Cup Super League ODIs.
Archer will join his England teammates Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Olly Stone at MI Cape Town. The MI squad also includes Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis and Rashid Khan.
