Jofra Archer was a special guest at England training on Friday, linking up with the team ahead of their ODI series decider against the West Indies in Barbados.
There is no timescale on the fast bowler’s return from the latest injury setback that scotched faint hopes of a World Cup berth, but he has been rehabilitating on the island where he was born and raised.
Archer shook hands with head coach Matthew Mott and director of men’s cricket Rob Key, who has joined England in Barbados, after arriving at the Kensington Oval before some gentle drills in the nets.
He started bowling gently on the outfield before increasing his intensity as the session progressed, although England have made plain they would not be taking any risks with the player.
The 28-year-old has not played competitively since May, ruled out of the Ashes by a recurrence of a stress fracture in a right elbow that has caused persistent problems since his breakout year in 2019.
He reported soreness in the joint during a brief stint in Mumbai after being named by England selector Luke Wright as their only “travelling reserve” for the World Cup, returning home shortly afterwards.
The premium England place on Archer was underlined when he received a two-year central contract in October, despite being unavailable for the past three World Cups and two Ashes series.
Key, who also joined England in Barbados, stated last month Archer would need building up again, adding: “Elbows, from what everyone says, are a tricky part of the body that you don’t want to get wrong.”
Archer will remain in Barbados once England head for Grenada next week but his presence was a welcome boost as they look to build on the momentum gained from levelling the ODI series in Antigua.
In two matches so far, Phil Salt and Will Jacks have got England off to excellent starts with half-century opening partnerships, both off 5.4 overs, taking the attack to the Windies bowlers.
The pair have followed the blueprint first adopted by Jason Roy and Alex Hales then Jonny Bairstow – although Salt, by his own estimation, is yet to cash in after getting out for 45 and 21.
“I enjoy batting with Will,” Salt said. “It’s not just about getting off to a flyer by hitting a boundary but rotating strike. He’s probably the best partner I’ve batted with in white-ball cricket.
“When myself and Will were coming through, we understood that this is the way that you have to play if you want to play for England. More than anything it’s second nature. The clues of success are in there.
“I feel like we’re yet to go on with it and really bang them to rights outside of the powerplay. When that happens, it will be entertaining to watch.”
Salt did not receive an England central contract but “didn’t expect the call”. Asked if he had any communication from Key, Salt added: “I’ve got a couple of ‘well batted’ texts, that’s about it.”
Salt has extra motivation for wanting to end the series with a flourish, having spent six years of his childhood in Barbados.
He was nine when his property-developer father uprooted the family from Bodelwyddan in north Wales to the Caribbean island, where the now 27-year-old’s attention shifted from football to cricket.
“I love it,” Salt added. “It’s a very special place for me. I love being here and playing here. Hopefully I can put on a bit of a show.”
England could make bowling changes for their third ODI in seven days but the temptation might be to stick with the same team that recorded a six-wicket win at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Wednesday.
ECB chief insists no decision made on Mott future
England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould has denied reports a decision has already been made on Matthew Mott's future as white-ball coach.
Mott's future has been called into question in the aftermath of England's failure to defend their T20 World Cup crown in the United States and West Indies, losing to India in the semi-finals.
Mott also oversaw England's calamitous 50-over World Cup campaign last year, as they lost six of their nine matches in India and crashed out in the group stage.
Reports earlier this week suggested the decision had already been made to dispense with Mott's services, with Eoin Morgan a contender to succeed him, though the former limited-overs captain has since said he has no interest in the role.
Asked by BBC Test Match Special if Mott's future had already been decided, Gould said: "That's not true. That's certainly not true.
"Matthew Mott is a really good guy and coach. He's got a great track record and it is the same with [captain] Jos [Buttler].
"We are always assessing options - that is what happens in high-performance sport, you are always assessing your options.
"You never want to be drawn into being given the dreaded vote of confidence or anything like that. Competitive sport always brings scrutiny and decisions.
"We'll constantly want to assess our options but we'll always want to do the right thing by the sport, the team and individuals."
West Indies grab three late wickets on day one as third Test against England in the balance
England lost three wickets in a dramatic end to day one of the third Test against West Indies, leaving them in a precarious position after restricting the tourists for 282.
Gus Atkinson finished with figures of 4-67, while Chris Woakes took 3-69 for England, as only a fine sixth-wicket stand from Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva saved West Indies from being bowled out for a much lower total.
But England, chasing a 3-0 series whitewash, let their dominant position slip when taking up the bat for the final 35 minutes, Zak Crawley (18), Ben Duckett (3) and Mark Wood (0) being dispatched as bowler Jayden Seales dropped them to 38-3.
Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat, leading his side to a solid start before a spell of three wickets in five overs before lunch put England on top.
Atkinson accounted for Mikyle Louis (26) and Alick Athanaze (2) on either side of Wood sending stumps flying with a full delivery to dismiss Kirk McKenize for 12.
Brathwaite's knock of 61 was brought to a halt shortly after the action resumed, the captain gloving Wood's leg-side ball to Jamie Smith as the tourists slid from 76-0 to 115-5 in 45 balls.
Holder (59) and Da Silva (49) then shared 108 to drag the Windies towards a respectable total, but things looked bleak for them when the latter feathered Woakes' ball through to Smith.
Having gone 30 overs without a wicket, England needed just 14 more to polish off the tail, the highlight being a terrific diving catch from Joe Root to send Gudakesh Motie (8) packing.
England were given just over half an hour with the bat to cap Friday's action, but any hopes of a serene finish were soon dashed.
Holder made two terrific catches off Seales' bowling, the first from Crawley's thick outside edge and the second to dismiss Wood for a duck, either side of Alzarri Joseph's cracking delivery accounting for Duckett.
That spell ensured what had been a good day for the hosts ended on a sour note, with the Windies sure to target quick wickets when the action resumes on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Atkinson and Seales dominate
This series began with all the focus on James Anderson as England's greatest-ever bowler bowed out at Lord's, but Atkinson has taken centre-stage since making his Test debut in the opening match and now has 20 wickets through five innings.
That is eight more than West Indies' Jayden Seales, the next-most prolific bowler in this series, has managed.
Seales was determined to have an impact on day one, though, and his two wickets at the death have set the stage for a far more competitive match than those England won at Lord's and Trent Bridge.
Bairstow set sights on swift England Test return
Jonny Bairstow bit back when asked if he was targeting an England return, insisting it is "all I want to do."
Bairstow was dropped from England's Test team for the ongoing series against West Indies.
The 34-year-old was part of England's T20 World Cup squad, and played in all five Tests of the tour of India earlier this year.
Bairstow has made 100 Test appearances, and when asked what his immediate target was, the wicketkeeper-batsman told former England captain and now-BBC Sport pundit Michael Vaughan: "All I want to do is play for England. That's end of.
"You don't need to ask me that do you? I think you know me well enough and I think you've known me for long enough to know that."
Bairstow did, however, enjoy a break away from the game, having had four weeks off before he joined the Welsh Fire for the Hundred.
He said: "At the same time it's been a great period of time.
"I had the best part of seven months away from home. Since January, I had five nights at home in my own bed since, until three weeks ago.
"That's the thing you have to sacrifice, time at home but at the same time, when you are away for that period of time, it takes its toll."
England are 2-0 up against the Windies in their three-match series, with the final Test starting at Edgbaston on Friday.
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