Salliann Beams, the high performance coach of Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Hobart Hurricanes, is not too keen on including English fast bowler Jofra Archer in the squad for the upcoming edition of the league. Beams claimed that the fast bowler does not fit into his team and that they have plenty of other options.
Jofra Archer is back in full fitness after a long injury break. The fast bowler was out with an elbow injury which made him miss many of the team’s cricket matches. This has also prevented him from participating in T20 leagues around the world as the ECB did not want to risk him.
Jofra Archer returned for England in the series against Pakistan and was later part of the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The top-order player performed well with the ball in the tournament. He helped his team reach the semi-final and took 10 wickets in eight games at an average of 19 and an economy rate of 7.21.
With Jofra Archer returning to the white-ball side in full swing for the England squad, there is every chance that he could feature in some of the upcoming leagues. With the BBL just around the corner, there has been a lot of speculation about the player’s return to the league.
But Hobart Hurricanes high performance manager Salliann Beams has ruled out the possibility of including Jofra Archer in the squad. Beams said the player does not fit into the team and described him as a quality player. cricket.com.auBeams explained:
“If you look at the bowlers in our team who offer (what Archer offers), we’ve got Riley (Meredith), Nathan (Ellis) and now Chris (Jordan), they don’t quite fit from a match-up point of view. What we’re looking for is that all-rounder and then someone who can slot into the top four.
““I’m not saying he (Archer) isn’t a quality player, he absolutely is, and if we needed that skill set I think he’d be a great target, but he just doesn’t fit the balance of our team.”
That’s what we’ve identified in Chris – Salliann Beams on the signing of Jordan
Salliann Beams spoke about the signing of Chris Jordan and said that the fast bowler is a very good player for the team on and off the field. Beams stated that the England fast bowler is a great professional and while speaking about it, she explained:
“That’s the key to all these franchise competitions around the world – what they’re doing is targeting those who are most available. That’s what we identified in Chris – we wanted someone who could not only perform on the pitch, but could also contribute something off it.”
“I think the players around him realized that and then looked inward and thought, ‘He could be a lot better. ‘ He’s the guy who walks around the team bus with a foam roller and a mat… he’s the ultimate professional and those kinds of behaviors are contagious,” Beams concluded.
