"I've played a lot of cricket outside of 50-over so I know how to deal with pressure"
Tuesday 21 May 2019 14:38, UK
Jofra Archer says he is ready for the World Cup after being named in England's final 15-man squad for the tournament.
The Barbados-born fast bowler only became eligible to play for England in March and was left out of the preliminary squad last month.
However, after impressing on his international debut against Ireland and, in particular, during the one-day international series against Pakistan, Archer has been drafted into the squad at the expense of David Willey.
"I got a call from Ed Smith yesterday at maybe 6 o'clock or so, I answered it without looking at it. It's really, really exciting to be part of a big summer for English cricket," he told Sky Sports.
"I think I'm ready. I've played a lot of cricket outside of 50-over so I know how to deal with pressure, crowds and it is because of that other cricket that I wasn't able to play much List A for Sussex.
"But you don't forget how to bowl and I think you get more opportunity than in T20, you get an extra six overs to take more wickets!"
Everyone welcomed me with open arms from the moment I got in, it’s a really good team to be a part of, great players, a great captain and great support staff as well.
Despite his father being English and Archer himself holding a British passport, the 24-year-old would have missed the World Cup prior to a change in the ECB eligibility regulations in December that reduced the residency period from seven years down to three, bringing it in line with the ICC.
While he has benefitted from the change, Archer insisted that he was ready to wait for as long as it took to get his chance for England.
"I had it in my head that I would have to wait seven years," he added. "Then back in December they obviously changed [the regulations] a little bit but I was always prepared to wait for however long it would have taken."
“Luckily it was Jos Buttler in the nets! He’s amazing, he’s a 360 cricketer, he can hit you straight down the ground or ramp you right over the ‘keeper’s head. I don’t think anywhere is safe as a bowler.
Having earned a place in the England squad, Archer believes his experiences playing in T20 leagues across the world, such as the IPL and the Big Bash, can give him an added edge when coming up against some of the star names during the World Cup.
"Yeah, I think I probably have a bigger advantage over some of the other guys in our team," he said. "We play them twice a year in the IPL so you know their weaknesses, you know their strengths, you know if they can't run between the wickets - you get an extra bit of inside information.
"To be honest, [international cricket] is probably the same intensity as the IPL, the only thing that has changed is the amount of overs. But ever since I've started it's been really intense. It's different but it still isn't [too] different."
You can watch every match of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup on Sky Sports Cricket, starting with England vs South Africa at The Oval on Thursday, May 30.
