I’ve been a big supporter of Archer for a long time, states Glenn McGrath

Jofra Archer has been making a name for himself in various white ball domestic leagues across the world and in the county circuit for quite some time now. The world finally got to witness him in action for England wearing the all-whites when he took the field for them in the second Ashes Test and Glenn McGrath was quick to heap praise on him

“I’ve been a big supporter of Archer for a long time and I love what I see there,” McGrath was quoted as saying in an interview by Times Now. 

The 24-year-old had a highly impressive World Cup and was key in driving the host nation to their maiden title. Originally from Barbados which is known for having produced some legendary bowlers, his brand of aggressive bowling with a seemingly simple action has been deceiving quite some batsmen over the past few years,

“It’s quite rare to be able to bowl with pace and accuracy for such a long time. To have pace is so unique and with Archer, it is all natural. His action doesn’t look too stressful, he has a nice, smooth run-up and goes through the crease really well. It’s a fairly stress-free action and he’s young and fit. He keeps it simple: He just comes in, bowls good areas and with good pace," McGrath added.

The Test saw him end with five wickets while going for less than 100 runs, constantly being a  pain for the Kangaroos. He even managed to deliver a couple of blows to Steven Smith on the shoulder before a final bouncer hit him on the neck and ruled him out of the next test.

“At Lord’s he bowled some quite lengthy spells, but he maintained his pace throughout his overs. That is a brilliant sign that he can bowl long spells at top pace then come back and bowl second and third spells no problem at all,” McGrath said.

Himself having the record of taking the most number of wickets in Ashes as well as World Cup history, Glenn McGrath is one of the all-time greats and him speaking highly of a talent means quite a lot.

“With a guy with his action and technique, I don’t see any reason why he can’t play plenty of Tests. It’s just experience that he needs and he will be fine,” McGrath concluded.