Hello. Welcome to the Telegraph’s live coverage of his sports shower of the first T20 International held at Headingley. It has been raining all day in Leeds, making it unlikely that England and Pakistan will play. Wait, come back! Little chance means there’s still a chance – we’ve all seen the Dumb and Dumber meme – and we’re just in case I’m paying attention.
There is one big reason why we don’t want to miss any games, even if the chances are slim: Jofra Archer is due to play for his first home team since September 2020. How sad. A fit Archer would lead a strong England team to another 10-0 win. But there has been too much suffering and too many false dawns to think everything will be OK. This four-match series against Pakistan should tell us whether his elbow can withstand the intensity of international cricket.
“It’s incredibly exciting,” Sam Curran said yesterday. “I think the England fans and players are very excited to have him back. He’s an addition that no team could turn down. He’s obviously something we can bring to the opposition as well. He’s got a special speed and fear factor. He’s obviously had a tough time on his body over the last few years, but now he’s overcome that and can get back in an England shirt and start competing. That’s what we all hope for. He’s a great player to have on the team.”
If tonight’s match is canceled due to rain (spoiler alert), the series will start at Edgbaston on Saturday, when the weather forecast will be a little more favorable to cricket.
The toss is scheduled for 6 p.m., but that seems unlikely.
