Sawt Falasteen - England quick Archer cautiously optimistic after injury woes

Archer, 29, has been plagued by persistent elbow trouble since starring in England's victorious 2019 50-over World Cup campaign and that year's ensuing Ashes series.

But such is the Barbados-born paceman's talent that England have kept faith with Archer while devising a carefully managed plan for his return as an all-format international.

While the gruelling demands of Test cricket remain off the agenda for the time being, Archer did feature at the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean in June and is now back in England's 50-over squad as well.

This week marked an important staging post, with Archer featuring in back-to-back ODIs for the first time since 2020 as England drew level at 2-2 in a five-match series against world champions Australia ahead of Sunday's finale in Bristol.

He showed he had lost none of his pace or skill during a return of 2-33 in seven overs when troubling Australia's top-order at Lord's on Friday as England thrashed their arch-rivals by the colossal margin of 186 runs.

He bowled Australia captain Mitchell Marsh and dismissed Glenn Maxwell, with Archer also landing a painful blow on the arm of Marnus Labuschagne with a sharply rising delivery in between those wickets.

But for Archer, just being back playing again is an achievement in itself.

"I'm still on the park and we're almost approaching the end of the summer, so for me, that's a take," Archer told reporters. "I wanted to play a summer, and then I want to play a year, and then I want to play a few years. So everything is going to plan."

England would dearly love to have Archer available as one of a cohort of fast bowlers for a 2025/26 Ashes tour of Australia, even though it is now more than three years since he played the last of his 13 Tests.

- 'Go series by series' -

Archer, however, refuses to look too far ahead, with a return to the West Indies for ODI and T20 series in October and November his immediate target.

"The T20 World Cup was a good check mark, this (white-ball series against Australia) was a good check mark, the Caribbean will be another good check mark -- hopefully I play more games there," Archer said.

"None of us have next year planned, so let's just go series by series...I know I've been out, it's been a while but I'm playing cricket again and I'm just happy."

Archer was a key figure when England won the World Cup five years ago, crucially holding his nerve while bowling the Super Over that sealed victory over New Zealand in a thrilling final at Lord's.

Yet Archer and leg-spinner Adil Rashid were the only members from that team on show at Lord's on Friday, with Harry Brook standing in as captain of a youthful ODI side this series in the absence of the injured Jos Buttler.

"It's weird seeing the team change -- just the other day I was playing warm-up football on the young side and a couple of weeks later I'm on the old team," said Archer. "It's been a bit of a shock.

"But a lot of the guys who are in and around, they didn't play in 2019, but a lot played just after. They have played big roles for their counties. It's not like you are babysitting anyone here.

"Everybody looks after themselves, and Brooky looks after everyone."

W.Mansour--SF-PST