26 January 2023 , 10:08
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England quick Jofra Archer is desperate to play in this summer's Ashes series, with the 27-year-old vowing to "do all the hard yards" to make it happen.
Archer is set to make his first England appearance in almost two years when he returns to action in the ODI series against South Africa, having been sidelined with elbow and back injuries.
After featuring against South Africa, Archer is expected to be part of England's white-ball tour of Bangladesh in March before heading to the Indian Premier League, where he may take part in extra training sessions to ensure he is ready for the Ashes.
"It is an exciting prospect to think about playing with the guys again, especially with the brand of cricket they are playing, which is very exciting," Archer said ahead of his return. "I need to spend the next two, three, four months fine-tuning the body and making myself a bit more resilient.
"Let me sort that out first then I can look forward to holding the red ball in my hand again. Overs are overs and you train and bowl until you feel good.
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"Obviously, I might have to do some extra bowling during the weeks when I'm in India. But that is absolutely fine because I want to play in the Ashes, so I'm going to have to do all the hard yards to tick those boxes."
Archer is hoping to feature in this summer's Ashes (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)Archer has enjoyed an impressive return to action in the SA20, picking up eight wickets at an average of 18 while regularly clocking speeds of 90mph+. "It's just been good to play cricket and actually not have to worry about if my body's going to give way," Archer added.
"I think that was the most important tick for me so far. Playing cricket again for the first time a few weeks ago, I'm still riding off that wave of emotions right now. I'm still a bit stiff and trying to take some of the rust away.
"I'd probably say I'm about 80 per cent. Just some fine-tuning now. Just more discipline than actual cricket stuff. I know whenever I'm fully fit, I don't think there's much that can stop me, it's just a matter of when that was going to be."