Jofra's Joy

This exclusive interview features in the Sussex Sharks Vitality Blast tournament programme. Pick up your copy at tonight’s game or order online here!

Ahead of this summer’s World Cup, Sussex Sharks’ man-of-the-moment Jofra Archer spoke to Matt Blogg about England, the Vitality Blast and much more

This season has already seen Jofra Archer burst into the England white-ball side and acquit himself very well, making his mark in the World Cup as though he’d been playing at that level for years. He may yet be part of the Ashes squad but in the meantime the paceman can’t wait to be part of a successful Sussex Sharks Vitality Blast campaign.

He has revealed he is ‘very confident’ his side can succeed in this year’s Blast and perhaps go one better than last year and win the trophy.

After losing last year’s final to Worcestershire Rapids, Sussex are determined to make amends this time around and despite not setting himself any personal goals, Archer is seeking success for him and his team-mates.

The 24-year-old says: “I don’t really have personal hopes, but I know that if I give my best then the team will do well, so I’m not really focused on myself. I’d like to win something with Sussex. We were very close last year and hopefully this year we can go a little bit closer. I’m very confident. I don’t see why you shouldn’t be.”

Archer insists the pressure he feels as an international cricketer today is no greater than the pressure he felt before, saying: “I’m still young so I never feel like [I have more responsibility]. Even after playing IPL and other stuff, I’ve never felt like a senior player. Some days in some meetings I still don’t speak. Some days you just don’t feel like it. I’m still young and I’m still learning.”

Looking back on the day he got his first international call-up, Archer remembers the ‘joy’ he felt achieving his childhood dream – and says it has been amazing to play in a ‘great team’ with England.

"It was complete joy. This year has been a really exciting year. It was a great [England] team to go into. We’ve got some unreal batters, unreal bowlers, everyone is good on the field. It’s probably like going into a World XI team.

“It has definitely improved my confidence as a person. It is something I set out to achieve and I’ve been very lucky that it’s happened so quickly. That feeling you get when you achieve something you have always wanted to, like passing your driving test or passing an exam, it gives you a bit of extra self-worth. You feel really good about yourself.”

Archer speaks of the main differences between international cricket and other forms. He says: “I will say the main difference between any cricket and international cricket is the margin of error. Some balls you can let go in normal cricket and get away with it, but in international cricket you sometimes just have to say ‘well played’. Sometimes it’s not even the bad balls, it might be the good ones that still go far and all you can say is ‘well played’.”

Archer got a big break when he was selected to play for Hobart Hurricanes as their overseas player in the Big Bash in Australia. He knows they took ‘a big risk’ in selecting him but is confident he has repaid their faith.

The Barbados-born bowler said: “That has been good. I’ve been doing that for two years now. They took a big risk having someone that had never played international cricket as their overseas so it’s been really good to be given that opportunity. I think I’ve repaid them – they still had me back the second year!”

Archer insists his quick rise to fame isn’t affecting him or his cricket, adding: “You’ve never really got time to think about it. I’m constantly on the go. As a kid you always say you want to do this but you never really expect to be here. A lot of stuff has happened but I just get on with it.”

The Sussex Sharks Vitality Blast tournament programme features:

• Exclusive player interviews with Jofra Archer, Luke Wright, Danny Briggs, Chris Jordan, Laurie Evans, Tymal Mills & Phil Salt
• Quick Singles with… George Garton & Delray Rawlins
• Overseas player profiles – Rashid Khan & Alex Carey
• ‘The Summer Collection’ – a fashionista’s review of every Sussex Sharks T20 kit
• Will Beer’s guide to bowling leg-spin in T20 cricket
• Squad profiles of all nine teams
• & more!

Get your copy at the match tonight or online here!