Jofra Archer, who was ruled out of the recently concluded ODI series against India and is expected to miss a part of the upcoming Indian Premier League, suffered the injury on his finger after he dropped a fish tank, England director of cricket Ashley Giles has revealed.
He said Archer had sustained a cut on the middle finger of his right hand when he dropped a fish tank. The England bowler underwent surgery to remove a “small fragment” of glass that was still lodged in.
“This is going to sound like an awful conspiracy and I can see what’s going to happen on Twitter as soon as I say this. But, yeah, he was cleaning at home. He’s got a fish tank. He dropped the fish tank, cut his hand, and he’s been in surgery," Giles said on BBC’s Tuffers and Vaughan show.
“He’s come out of it well. It was managed through India, he was treated when he arrived and it wasn’t an open wound on that finger. It didn’t stop him playing, but given he came home for an injection on his elbow, he went to a specialist because the finger was still a bit stiff,” he said.
“They’ve operated and I think they found a small fragment of glass still in attendance. It obviously healed but there was part of the fish tank still in his finger. So, it was the right thing to do. We’ve got a clear window to do it as well. We wish him the best for his recovery but it’s true, it’s not a conspiracy,” he added.
Following the surgery, it is yet to be determined if he will play in the 2021 IPL for Rajasthan Royals. A decision regarding this is likely to be taken soon.
“At the front of our minds is making sure that Jofra’s fit and available to do what he does best, which is bowl quick and enjoy his bowling. His elbow injury certainly stopped him from doing that, and through the T20 series, that condition worsened and he couldn’t play without some form of pain relief. You have to manage these things carefully, because it’s a bit like his finger actually, it seems like a small thing, but his middle finger on his right hand is pretty important when you’re a fast bowler,” said Giles.
“We need to manage the elbow carefully. We’ve got a really good medical team. We don’t know what’s going to happen yet in this next couple of months. But our priority is to get both of these things right and get him back on the field.
“We need to look after him first and foremost, but I’m pretty confident that he’ll be fine, he’ll be back as soon as he can,” Giles said.
