ICC world Cup 2019 | I’m glad that England picked Jofra Archer, says Ottis Gibson
South African coach Ottis Gibson has said that he is happy to see Jofra Archer being picked by England for the upcoming World Cup despite not having enough ODI experience under his belt. Archer looked good in the recently-concluded IPL and has shown immense potential to pull it off on the big stage.
Archer has earned the trust of many cricket experts across the globe with his pace and control. His inclusion in the England side was considered to be a masterstroke by many and has strengthened England’s bowling attack for sure.
Both Archer and Gibson were born in Barbados and as a coach of the West Indies side back in 2010, the latter had a chance to watch Archer as a teenager. Gibson rates Archer highly and was glad to see the Sussex pacer in the 15-man England squad for the World Cup.
“He’s fresh and he’s obviously talented and he’s got a lot of pace and he’s from Barbados, so I’m glad that they picked him. He’s a very good kid. I’ve known him from Barbados when he was a youngster growing up there, so I’m really pleased for him,” said Gibson, reported AFP.
Archer has been a force to be reckoned with in T20s and has done reasonably well over the years. His raw pace and his ability to move the ball has been outstanding. He did well in the home series against Pakistan, which also chiselled his path into the World Cup squad.
“He’s got a lot of talent, so he’s bringing that. He’s bringing pace; he bowls quickly. And he’s a match-winner. So hopefully he won’t have much of a say in this game, but then he’ll have a really good tournament once this game is over.”
On being asked if Archer was in his radar as the coach of West Indies, Gibson replied saying, “He was only about 16 when I was there, so he wasn’t on my radar. But it’s well-documented that they didn’t pick him for the Under-19s and then he chose a different path. I’m really happy for him… I know that he’s a good boy and I wish him well."