Jofra Archer makes much-heralded entry into England's World Cup squad

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Jofra Archer makes much-heralded entry into England's World Cup squad

Archer had been excluded from the preliminary 15-man squad named last month to meet the ICC's first deadline requirement. However, he was included for both the Ireland series as well as the one against Pakistan to prove his worth ahead of the tournament.

Archer's inclusion came alongside those of fellow all-rounder Liam Dawson and top-order batsman James Vince. The trio replaced David Willey, Joe Denly and Alex Hales.

Despite having played just four internationals since becoming eligible to play for England in March, Archer is highly regarded for his temperament and talent, so much that England picked his raw talent over the more experienced Willey. The left-arm seamer has been a consistent performer for England in the past. But after what was at best a mixed series against Pakistan, his performances simply weren't enough to make him stand out from the intense current competition.

Archer, on the other hand, gave a wonderful audition of his white-ball credentials, when he impressed with his four-over spell in the rain-marred first ODI against Pakistan at The Oval. Archer's short, but so far promising, England limited-overs career prompted outgoing coach Trevor Bayliss, who will step down after the Ashes, to say: "I hadn't seen [Archer] play live before, but he's certainly lived up to expectations. He's got good control, good pace and he can bowl in all the three phases of the match.

"It's been a hectic last six months, but the guys have come through and I fully expect them to play well. For any team, knockout cricket is when the most pressure is. Our first job is to get through and qualify for the semi-finals. Get to a semi and anything is possible."