The English pacer, Jofra Archer said he immediately remembered late Phillip Hughes after he bowled a 92 mph bouncer that concussed Australia star Steve Smith during last year’s Ashes. Hughes had lost his life after being hit by a short-pitched delivery during a domestic Sheffield Shield match in 2014. Jofra said he had started to fear the worst when his fearsome bouncer struck Smith at Lord’s.

During a chat with Talksport radio, Archer said, “My first reaction was that it hit the helmet but a few seconds after he went down, everyone was like ‘Oh no’. We had the stuff with Phil a few years ago and, generally, anything that hits you in that vicinity is going to be trouble. I’m just glad that he came out on the other side of it and batted in two games.”

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The start of the English season has been delayed until July 1 at the earliest but officials are looking forward to a rescheduled Test series against the West Indies could get underway later in the month.

Archer may yet find himself back in an England and Wales Cricket Board training program as soon as this week if the British government published guidance on how elite sportsmen and women can train safely during the pandemic.

Any matches that do take place this season will be taking place behind closed doors but Barbados-born Archer said the absence of fans might be bearable if artificial sound effects were allowed to replicate typical crowd noise.

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DEscribing the same in his Daily mail Column, Jofra Archer said, “Playing in silence will take some getting used to, so it might be useful to play some music, some simulations of a crowd, something to create an atmosphere. The best solution, if we do have to play behind closed doors, might be to have cheered and clapping when someone hits a four or a wicket falls. These are the little things that will make it as normal as possible even though it won’t be a normal occasion.”