Jofra Archer out of West Indies tour after further elbow surgery

GEORGE DOBELL: Having undergone a second operation on the elbow on December 11, Archer's return has been delayed. The news is sure to fuel concerns about the fast bowler's future in the game

Jofra Archer has been ruled out of England's Test tour of the Caribbean in March after undergoing more surgery on his right elbow.

Archer was forced home from the tour of India at the start of the year and subsequently pulled out of the IPL.

He underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment from the elbow in May but, having attempted to return to bowling with his county, Sussex, was ruled out of the remainder of the year after he was diagnosed with a recurrence of the stress fracture that first became apparent in South Africa at the start of 2020.

There had been hopes that Archer might be fit to return to action in the three-Test series scheduled for the Caribbean in March.

^{Jofra Archer has undergone another elbow operation (Martin Rickett/AFP via Getty Images)}

But, having undergone a second operation on the elbow on December 11, his return has been delayed.

The news is sure to fuel concerns about Archer's future in the game.

He has played relatively little cricket since the injury first occurred and notably struggled to reproduce the pace he had when he first appeared in international cricket.

It would be understandable if he decided the rigours of Test cricket were too much for him and concentrated on a future as a T20 specialist.

While Archer’s place in England's cricketing history is assured – he played a key role in helping them to the World Cup victory of 2019, after all – there will be increasing concerns that, like Shane Bond, his international career could be seriously curtailed by injury.

^{Archer has struggled with injuries for two years (Stu Forster/Getty Images)}

"The England and Wales Cricket Board can confirm that fast bowler Jofra Archer underwent a second operation on his injured right elbow on Saturday, December 11 in London," the ECB said in a statement.

"The procedure addressed the long-standing stress fracture of his right elbow.

"A return to cricket will be determined in time, but Jofra will not be available for any of England's remaining winter series."

JOFRA ARCHER: A TIMELINE OF TWO DIFFICULT YEARS

January 3, 2020: Archer is ruled out of the second Test against South Africa as his elbow problem flares up for the first time.

The seamer complained of pain during the first Test at Centurion and underwent a scan, which did not provide enough information for England's medical team to make a call.

"He is not fit to play, suffering with a right elbow injury. He will not be at the ground today and will have a second scan to determine the extent of the injury," a statement says. 

January 29, 2020: After missing three of England's four Tests in South Africa, Archer flies home to nurse his elbow injury and misses the T20 series.

February 6, 2020: Archer's elbow issue is a stress fracture which will mean three months of rehab. He has to withdraw from Rajasthan Royals' squad for the 2020 Indian Premier League.

February 10, 2020: England head coach Chris Silverwood concedes Archer may need to be used in short bursts in Test cricket to preserve his career.

"Things like [bowling 40 overs] we have to look at," Silverwood said. "But sometimes, when needs must, you've got to do it. We managed Mark Wood through both the Test matches he’s played here and he's bowled in short sharp spells. Would we look to do that now with Jof? Yes, we probably would."

June 9, 2020: Archer returns to light training.

June 23, 2020: The bowler uses his Daily Mail column to give an update on his progress.

“So far everything feels like clockwork," he wrote. "Crunch in, crunch out, my body feels fresh, and there are no issues with my right elbow whatsoever, touch wood. When I run into bowl, I don’t think about it, just about bowling the ball as I always have done."

July 4, 2020: Archer is named in England's squad for the first Test against West Indies behind closed doors at the Ageas Bowl.

July 8, 2020: Archer plays in the first Test, taking 3 for 45 in the second innings. He is later excluded from the second Test for breacing bio-security protocols.

March 21, 2021: It is announced that Archer will miss England's ODI matches against India, having played in discomfort during the T20I leg of the tour. 

The ECB release a statement saying they will "develop a treatment plan and a return-to-play schedule in due course". 

March 29, 2021: After a freak injury cleaning a fish tank, which it emerges took place in January, Archer goes under the knife to extract glass from a finger.

"It didn't stop him playing but, given he came home for an injection and treatment on his elbow, he went to a specialist - I think it was still a bit stiff - and they've operated," England men's managing director of cricket Ashley Giles says.

April 11, 2021: Archer is cleared to return to training following the minor surgery but no timeframe is put on his return to competitive action.

April 23, 2021: Rajasthan Royals and the ECB confirm their fast bowler will not take any part in the Indian Premier League campaign.

May 5, 2021: In a low-key return to action, Archer bowls 11 wicketless overs for Sussex 2nd XI against Surrey. 

May 15, 2021: Archer is too sore to bowl for Sussex on day three of their County Championship match against Kent.

May 18, 2021: The ECB advise Archer to undergo surgery on his persistent right elbow injury. At the time, the expecation was that it would see him out of action for 10 weeks.

May 20, 2021: Archer chooses to have the operation on his elbow.

"At the moment, he has a bit of an impingement in his elbow," England's bowling coach, Jon Lewis, tells the Guardian. "A lot of fast bowlers get it in their ankle, so it's comparable but a different part of the body. Put a lot of pressure and flexion through any joint, it will take a bashing. But bowlers come through ankle impingements. I don't foresee it being a long term major issue.

"From what I understand, either short-term or long term, his elbow will recover. I would expect him to play a lot more international cricket for England. This is just a small blip on his journey."

May 27, 2021: Archer writes in his Daily Mail column: "If I don't get this right, I won't play any cricket. Period.

"I am not going to do myself any good by coming back before I'm fully fit, so I will take my time and do what is best for me and my life."

August 24, 2021: Archer says he is targeting the West Indies tours as a potential comeback. 

December 8, 2021: Archer tells Channel7 he feels as though he is reaching the end of his injury journey.

"The results [of the latest scan] came back yesterday and it was quite promising, actually - everything is moving forward nicely," he said.

December 11, 2021: Another surgery.

December 21, 2021: Archer is ruled out of the West Indies tours and serious concerns are raised about his future as an all-formats player.