Jofra Archer made news earlier this morning, hours before the match as the pacer was dropped as he broke the bio-secure protocol that is being created to make sure the safety of all the players. Archer will be isolating himself for five days.
Talking about the same, Michael Holding said that he has no sympathy for Archer for missing out the Test.
“I have no sympathy at all. I don’t understand why people can’t just do what is required. Talking about sacrifices — Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in a little cell and he did nothing wrong — that is a sacrifice,” Holding told Sky Sports.
He also questioned the protocol and said it has to be a bit logical. He pointed out that the players could have taken a bus from Southampton to Manchester instead of travelling in a separate car. Since they are all together throughout it doesn’t make sense, he said.
Former England cricketer Michael Atherton also criticized Archer for his behaviour.
“It’s very foolish for a number of reasons. One, it cost him a place in the team. Secondly, it’s thrown England’s plans into disarray, a vital Test match that they must win to try and win this series,” Atherton told Sky Sports.
“And thirdly it’s put at risk all the work that ECB have done. These six Test matches, three against West Indies, three against Pakistan, they’ve had to do a tremendous amount of work to get these games on,” he added.
It is being reported that Archer drove to his home in Sussex as other players made their way to Manchester from Southampton.
