According to England’s managing director Ashley Giles, Jofra Archer’s violation of coronavirus protocols was a potential disaster and it could have cost tens of millions of pounds. On Thursday morning, ECB dramatically announced that they have dropped pacer Jofra Archer from the squad after breaching the bio-security measures imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It is speculated that the reason behind ruling out Archer from the team is that he went home to Brighton on Monday to meet an unnamed individual following the end of last week’s first Test match against West Indies in Southampton. By doing so, Archer directly violated the strict guidelines. However, the person whom Archer met has tested COVID-19 negative.
Post Archer breached the rules a concentrated effort was followed by the ECB to persuade both the West Indies and Pakistan to go ahead with their schedule despite tens of thousands of COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom.
Ireland and Australia are also scheduled to tour England this season. Earlier in the campaign, there was real concern that COVID-19 could wipe out the entire 2020 home English cricket program, with the ECB predicting losses running into hundreds of millions of pounds. As well as a mandatory five-day self-isolation at the team hotel at Old Trafford, Archer now also faces internal disciplinary action.
After stumps day on Thursday, Giles told the reporters, “This could have been a disaster.”
He further added, “The ripple effect this could have had through the whole summer could have cost us tens of millions of pounds.”
However, later, the former spin bowler Giles sympathised with Archer by saying that young men make mistakes and the latter will learn from it and move on.
In a statement issued to ECB, Jofra Archer apologised for his behaviour and putting his teammates into danger.
Jofra Archer will be picked for the third Test match only if he tests negative for COVID-19, and also completes the disciplinary action taken on him.