Will Jofra Archer Be England’s Secret Weapon at the T20 World Cup?

Fast bowler Jofra Archer was recently selected for England’s provisional squad for the upcoming 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The tournament is scheduled to run from June 1 until 29. 

England are currently the third odds-on favourite to win the competition outright, behind Australia, the second odds-on favourite, and India, the odds-on favourites, meaning England have a good chance of winning. 

With their 29-year-old secret weapon, Archer, they could very well come out on top this year. 

Here is a closer look at why Jofra Archer’s return from injury and inclusion in the squad is a massive boost for the England national cricket team. 

Who is Jofra Archer?

Jofra Archer is a 29-year-old men’s professional cricketer who was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, in April 1995 but holds British citizenship through his father. 

The right-handed batter and right-arm fast bowler has played on and off for the England men’s national side since making his debut against Australia in August 2019. Throughout his career, he has achieved the following statistics:

• Played: 13 Test Cricket matches. Balls bowled: 2,609. Bowling average: 31.04. Best bowling: 6/45
• Played: 21 One Day Internationals (ODIs). Balls bowled: 1,139. Bowling average: 21.73. Best bowling: 6/40
• Played: 16 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Balls bowled: 372. Bowling average: 24.66. Best bowling: 4/33
• Played: 43 First-Class cricket matches. Balls bowled: 8,856. Bowling average: 24.91. Best bowling: 7/67

In 2019, he was part of the team that won the ICC Cricket World Cup, and at the domestic level, he has played for Sussex (2016-present), the Khulna Titans (2017), the Hobart Hurricanes (2017/8, and 2018/19), the Rajasthan Royals (2018 – 2021), MI Cape Town (2022/23), and the Mumbai Indians (2023). 

Injuries throughout his career have plagued Archer, significantly reducing the number of games he should have played for club and country. His major recurring injury is ongoing issues with his right elbow, for which he has undergone two operations. 

He’s now back from his latest issue and will be looking to help take England all the way. The other two England bowlers England can choose from should Archer’s injury return during the world cup are Reece Topley and Mark Wood. 

However, these two are also prone to recurring injuries. 

If all three can stay in top shape and have a bit of luck on their side, there’s a good chance that England will win. Most experts and fans agree that Archer’s inclusion will strengthen the squad as he is a multi-phase bowler. 

Some of his talents include his ability to catch the batters off guard by bowling yorkers, and he can quickly adjust to bowling fast with the new ball, delivering lightning-fast bowls during an innings for just one or two overs if required. 

Can England win the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup if Jofra Archer can remain injury-free?

The quickest, easiest, and most accurate way to find out if England can win the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be held for the first time at venues across the United States and the West Indies, would be to check ENG vs IND match odds on India’s most trusted online bookmaker. 

The official 10cricbet site is known for having some of the iGaming industry’s most competitive cricket betting odds, and the betting markets for the upcoming world cup are already open. You will also soon be able to place live bets (aka in-play bets) as the tournament matches unfold. 

Here are the latest odds for the top five favourites. These odds are displayed in all three formats (decimal, fractional, and American/moneyline odds), along with the IPR (implied probability rate) of each team winning the tournament outright:

• Betting market: To win the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 outright. Team: India (odds-on favourites). Decimal odds: 3.60. Fractional odds: 13/5. American/moneyline odds: +260. Implied probability rate (IPR): 27.80%
• Betting market: To win the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 outright. Team: Australia (second odds-on favourites). Decimal odds: 4.25. Fractional odds: 13/4. American/moneyline odds: +325. IPR: 23.50%
• Betting market: To win the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 outright. Team: England (third odds-on favourites). Decimal odds: 6.50. Fractional odds: 11/2. American/moneyline odds: +550. IPR: 15.40%
• Betting market: To win the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 outright. Team: South Africa (fourth odds-on favourites). Decimal odds: 7.00. Fractional odds: 6/1. American/moneyline odds: +600. IPR: 14.30%

In other words, it’s looking fairly close between the top three favourites. Twenty teams are competing, and the two least favourites to win this year are Canada and Uganda. 

Also competing are the United States, the West Indies, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Scotland, Namibia, the Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. 

When does the tournament start?

The opening game of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup will be on Sunday, June 2, when host nation the United States play Canada at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. 

The second game of the tournament is the following day, June 3, when the joint-host nation (the West Indies) play Papua New Guinea at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. 

England’s first game is against Scotland on Wednesday, June 5, at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. England and Scotland are both in Group B with Australia, Namibia, and Oman. 

Final thoughts

England may have Jofra Archer as their secret weapon, but he won’t be the tournament’s only secret weapon. For example, India has Virat Kohli. Pakistan has Babar Azam. Afghanistan have Rashid Khan, and the West Indies have Andre Russell. 

There’s also Adam Zampa for Australia, Finn Allen for New Zealand, Wanindu Hasaranga for Sri Lanka, Gerald Coetzee for South Africa, and Shakib Al Hasan. 

That’s not forgetting several other key players who will also be worth keeping an eye on throughout the tournament, such as Jos Butler (England), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan), and Jasprit Bumrah (India). 

If you decide to place a wager on the upcoming world cup, only do so on fully licensed and regulated Indian online sports betting sites like 10cricbet. To ensure you don’t exceed your initial budget, start by setting a reasonable one before depositing. 

This trusted Indian iGaming site can be accessed from most Wi-Fi/internet-connected deposit computers and mobile devices (e.g., laptops, PCs, smartphones and tablets), provided you are 18 or above.