Champions Trophy: Brendon McCullum praises performance of pacer Jofra Archer
What's the story
In an otherwise difficult Champions Trophy campaign for England, Brendon McCullum did point out the brilliant performance of fast bowler Jofra Archer.
Although England didn't do well overall, Archer was the pick of the bowlers in the English lineup.
He bowled his full quota every time and even bowled nine of the 29.1 overs that South Africa took to chase down 180 in Karachi, showing his fitness and skill on the field.
Here's more.
Coach's commendation
McCullum praises Archer's return to competitive cricket
McCullum also lauded Archer's return to competitive cricket after a two-year break.
"He's been out of competitive cricket for a couple of years. I think it's taken just a little bit of time to get that rhythm of gameplay," McCullum said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"He's bowled high pace, he's played a lot of cricket... We've seen moments of how great Jofra is," McCullum further added, emphasizing Archer's major contributions in the recent matches against South Africa and Afghanistan.
Game strategy
Archer's strategic approach and impact
Archer's smart use of the wicket and new ball stood out.
He got Travis Head early with a catch off his own bowling and kept up the pressure in his first spell without looking for swing.
Against Afghanistan, he picked two wickets in five balls after changing his approach in the third over, highlighting his adaptability and influence on the game.
Team challenges
England's ODI struggles and McCullum's future plans
England's ODI performance under McCullum has been disappointing, with just three wins and 11 losses, including a seven-match losing streak.
"We had high hopes of being able to finish the tournament with a bit of a bang, but we were very poor," the coach admitted.
He expressed disappointment but emphasized the need for improvement in England's white-ball cricket performance.
Notably, the team will have nearly three months to regroup before their next ODI match.
Captaincy transition
McCullum's plans for England's white-ball captaincy
With Jos Buttler stepping down as captain after disappointing results, McCullum plans to retain him in the white-ball squad.
"We still see Jos as obviously a big player within that, and he's got a huge role to play," McCullum said.
"I'll get home in the next couple of days and start having some conversations with Rob Key and the guys at ECB about who the right person is for us to put in that position of white-ball captain," he added.
Numbers
Archer's ODI career and 2025 Champions Trophy numbers
With six scalps in the 2025 Champions Trophy, the pacer has raced to 54 scalps across 31 ODIs.
He has an average of 26.31 and owns an economy rate of 5.22.
Archer also boasts one five-wicket haul with the best bowling inning of 6/40.
As mentioned, he bagged six scalps across three innings during England's short-lived Champions Trophy campaign.
According to ESPNcricinfo, he averaged 33.50 (ER: 6.93). He returned with figures worth 1/82, 3/64, and 2/55.