MI Cape Town signs Jofra Archer as wild card entry for SA20
MI Cape Town’s wild card selection for the upcoming SA20 tournament is Jofra Archer. Archer is preparing to return to proper competitive cricket after a nearly two-year sabbatical from international cricket.
He had suffered an elbow ailment and a stress fracture in his lower back.
MI Cape Town named England pacer Jofra Archer as their wildcard signing for the inaugural SA20 competition, which will begin in January next year.
Archer has not played international cricket since March 2021 owing to a long-standing elbow problem, which was followed by a lower back stress fracture. On Wednesday, he played for the England Lions against the senior England team in Abu Dhabi.
Despite knowing that Archer would not be available, the Mumbai Indians signed him in the last IPL auction for Rs 8 crore. He’ll be back for the 2023 season.
The same group owns both the IPL squad MI and the SA20 team MI Cape Town.
Jofra Archer to represent MI Capetown in SA20
The SA20 tournament spans from January 10 to February 11, with a brief break in late January for England’s rescheduled ODI series in South Africa. Archer could earn his international debut in that series, especially if he can demonstrate his fitness while playing for MI Cape Town.
The CSA formally revealed the wildcard system on Monday, which SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith said will “let our teams add another world-class player to their roster.” Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the only other franchise to reveal a wildcard signing thus far, has brought in Jordan Hermann, an uncapped South African batter. Wildcard players will be paid a minimum salary of R175,000 (about US$ 10,290), although their earnings will not be included in team totals.
