England’s head coach Rob Key was hopeful that fast bowler Jofra Archer will be fit in time for the 2024 T20 World Cup which is set to begin on June 1 in the United States and West Indies.
Archer, 28, last played a professional match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where he suffered an elbow injury that kept him out from Ashes and ICC World Cup 2023.
However, he has now started training with the squad and was bowling in the nets during England’s white-ball tour of the West Indies in December.
Key confirmed that the plan is to make sure that Archer is ready for the T20 World Cup where England is in group B with Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman
"Our plan is the T20 World Cup, building him up slowly,” Key told BBC's Tailenders podcast.
"I saw him bowl in the Caribbean and it was like he'd never been away. I don't want to get back to this thing where he plays and then goes down again.
"He wanted to play in the IPL, but we said not this time. Hopefully, the years he has missed he can add to the end of his career. He is such a talent."
England are the defending champions after clinching the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, beating Pakistan in the final.
The defending champions will begin their World Cup campaign against Scotland in Barbados on June 4 before facing the 2021 World Cup winners, Australia, at the same venue on June 8.
Groups for T20 World Cup 2024
Group A: India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, United States
Group B: England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman
Group C: New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea
Group D: South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal
20 qualifying teams are divided into four groups of five, from which the top two teams of every group will make their way to the Super 8 round.
In that stage, qualifying teams will once again be divided into two groups of four, from which the top two teams will make their way to the semi-final and then the winners will play the final.