"Selfishly, I’m excited to see Jofra Archer back on the pitch" - Jos Buttler ahead of facing Mumbai Indians Cape Town

Paarl Royals keeper-batter Jos Buttler has welcomed the prospect of seeing pacer Jofra Archer back in action in the inaugural edition of SA20. The 32-year-old admitted they must be at their best to combat the right-arm speedster.

Archer, who will ply his trade for Mumbai Indians Cape Town, has started the process of making his return to top-level cricket. The Barbadian hasn't played international cricket since March 2021 and has repeatedly struggled with injuries. The 27-year-old's last game was in July 2021.

Speaking in a video uploaded by the Paarl Royals' Twitter handle, England's white-ball skipper Buttler stated that he is excited to see the fast bowler back in action. The Lancashire cricketer labeled the speedster an X-factor and is wary of the threat posed by him.

"You know, selfishly, I’m excited to see Jofra Archer back on the pitch," Buttler said. "Jofra has been out for a long time due to some injuries and selfishly, as an England white-ball captain, I’m excited to see him back and available and playing cricket.

"So, I think that’s a treat for everyone around the world that such an x-factor player is back on the field. We will have to be at our very best to combat him because he’s a superstar. But I think it’s a great moment that he’s going to be back playing cricket competitively."

The 27-year-old will mark his comeback in international cricket in the three-game ODI series against South Africa, starting in Bloemfontein on January 27. The selectors have named him in the 14-man squad.

---

Jofra Archer to join his England teammates Olly Stone and Sam Curran in MI Cape Town

Sam Curran will form a critical part of MI Cape Town's bowling unit. (Credits: Getty)

Archer will join the likes of Sam Curran and Olly Stone in SA20 for the MI Cape Town and will hope to run riot on the opposition sides. Curran has been in supreme form in the shortest format, notably winning the Player of the Tournament award in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.

The MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals will also face one another in the first match of the tournament in Cape Town on Tuesday, January 10.