Archer brings the X-Factor like Pietersen, feels Carlos Brathwaite

Carlos Brathwaite. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)


Former West Indies T20 skipper Carlos Brathwaite feels that somebody like a Jofra Archer brings to England what somebody like Kevin Pietersen did. Braithwaite stated that every team needs a player who will do things his own way but deliver the goods at the same time and Archer and Pietersen are quite similar in that manner.

“There’s the traditional English way of doing it by the book, but all good teams need the X-factor. I think he brings that X-factor… Kevin Pietersen brought that X-factor,” Brathwaite told the BBC.

“While you’re hoping that the majority of the team are 75% consistent and they do everything by the book — they are always early, they eat right, they do this and they do that — you do need that rogue.”

Archer had been dropped for the second Test after he was found to have violated the bio-security protocols in place for the England-West Indies series. He completed his compulsory self-quarantine period and returned for the final Test match commencing Friday.

Earlier, West Indies assistant coach Roddy Estwick stated that Archer would be fine, at the same time criticising the racial abuse that Archer received.

“Jofra will be fine. I’ve been in constant contact with him… have been talking to him and trying to reassure him that you know we all make mistakes and learn from your mistakes and we move on.

“I spoke to him yesterday, and he appeared to be in a good space. I will continue to support him, there’s no doubt about that, and I’ll be there for him.

“He knows what he’s done, he would’ve learnt from it and he will understand that he will get criticism,” Estwick told reporters in an online press conference on Wednesday.