Archer will be a major part of this summer, says Mark Wood

London, June 24 (IANS) England pacer Mark Wood has said Jofra Archer adds depth to England’s fast bowling battery and will be a major part of their summer as they get ready to take on the West Indies in three Test matches.

England’s 30-member training group is preparing for the Test series at the Ageas Bowl’s bio-secure bubble, which is set to host the opening match on July 8.

The three-Test series will also mark the resumption of cricket after the coronavirus break.

Gun-quick Archer, who did not join the training squad after a member of his household fell ill, has tested negative for COVID-19. But he will be tested again on Wednesday and once cleared he will join his team members for training on Thursday.

“It would be great to have Jofra around again. I’m sure he’ll be back, hopefully tomorrow, if he gets the all-clear. It’s great that we’ve got this sort of depth in the squad. He’ll be a major part of this summer,” Wood was quoted as saying by ‘Evening Standard’.

Wood and star all-rounder Ben Stokes joined on Monday night, before the majority of the squad gathered at the on-site hotel on Tuesday.

Asked about training inside a bio-secure bubble, Wood said it is “weird” and a “bit like a sci-fi movie”.

“It’s a bit like a sci-fi movie,” he said on standard.co.uk.

“Everybody’s masked up and you can’t see anybody. You don’t know if they’re friendly or not! It’s a bit different and a bit weird, but it’s just something we’ll have to get used to.”

–IANS

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