I wish he wouldn't have opened his mouth: Mark Butcher on Jofra Archer

Pakistan vs England: Mark Butcher slams Jofra Archer for Naseem Shah remark

By Web Desk
August 12, 2020
Jofra Archer has caught flak for his remarks on Naseem Shah's pace.

Former England opener Mark Butcher has slammed countryman Jofra Archer for first holding back in terms of pace in the opening Test against Pakistan and then having the audacity the question the logic of teenage Naseem Shah giving his all.

The Old Trafford wicket was a spinner-friendly surface that saw Arthur suggest that it was pointless for express pacers such as himself to fully bend their back on – a thought that was not well-received by critics who deemed it Archer’s justification for shirking away from putting in the hard yards.

Butcher, in a discussion with ESPN, revisited Archer’s controversial comment, saying: “I wish he wouldn’t have opened his mouth. The very next day the 17-year-old [Naseem] runs up and bowls 90 miles an hour every ball. And they’ve only got a three-man pace attack. All of these things are very much dependent on the circumstances you find yourselves in.”

“As one of four, if you are the fastest, you bowl fast, that’s it. And you certainly don’t go out there and say that it’s not a pitch to bend your back on and then watch a bloke run in and bowl at speed of light the next day, hit people on the head and explode one off Ollie Pope in the first innings. That’s just daft.”

After his heroics in the World Cup final and the Ashes, Archer’s stock has since fallen, especially after his violation of Covid-19 protocols last month that could have jeopardised the entire West Indies tour.

As expected, Butcher advised the fiery pacer to put a cap on his transgressions.

“I think he’s learning the hard way. He has made two massive errors in this thing and there is a lot of goodwill, particularly from me towards Jof. The mistake about going home – pick your moments to be a buffoon, that really wasn’t one of them – and then saying it’s not a pitch to bend your back on as one of four,” he said.

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