Archer is eyeing more than T20 success for Sussex

The Barbadian-born star has made cricket fans across the globe sit up and take notice of his talents with amazing performances in the Australian Big Bash and Pakistan Super League T20 tournaments.

He played for the Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan and the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash, for whom he bowled a double-wicket maiden on his debut against the Melbourne Renegades and came up with a series of champagne moments throughout the tournament as they reached the final.

The Hurricanes lost the final to the Adelaide Strikers, who are coached by Sussex’s Jason Gillespie. Archer took 15 wickets in ten matches.

Next up he joins the Rajasthan Royals in the big-bucks Indian Premier League, which will keep him away from Sussex for the first few weeks of the season. He’ll play alongside England’s Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler for the Royals.

But during a break in his T20 schedule, he was at Hove to help prepare for the new Sussex season under new head coach Jason Gillespie, and he is confident a successful summer is in store.

Archer believes there’s no reason they can’t challenge in division two of the county championship, the One-Day Cup and the T20 Blast.

He told us: “I think we can win every tournament this year. The new coach has made some good signings, especially for four-day cricket, and hopefully we can do a good job.

“We’ve got (Afghanistan star spinner) Rashid Khan coming in the T20 to look forward to. I think the team is in good spirits.”

Archer, who turns 23 on Easter Sunday, is keen on playing in all forms of the game, not just T20. And the fast bowler who’s no slouch with the bat either is confident Gillespie can guide the Sharks to some success.

“This is his first week here, so we are still waiting to see what other stuff he can bring,” Archer said. “We haven’t done so great in the past couple of years, so I think he can give us some success.”

In last season’s T20 Blast for Sussex, Archer took 14 wickets from 14 matches, with his best bowling figures of four for 18 against Hampshire.

Archer said he had throughly enjoyed his winter of cricket and globe-trotting.

“I think I’ve grown a lot, not just from a cricketing point of view but personally as well,” he said.

“I think you learn your game a lot more by being away from your comfort zone. It teaches you to take care of yourself. When we do come back to play in the next (T20) Blast, I’ll probably be more successful than I was last year.

“You just have to perfect whatever you need to do, that’s probably why I have been successful in the Blast, but I try to be as simple as possible.”

MICHAEL HELLYER