Gibson glad to see Archer get his England chance
South Africa coach Ottis Gibson wants England fast bowler Jofra Archer to have a good World Cup.
LONDON (AFP) - South Africa coach Ottis Gibson wants England fast bowler Jofra Archer to have a good World Cup -- but only after the Proteas have played the hosts in Thursday s tournament opener at the Oval.
Former West Indies fast bowler Gibson, like Archer, was born in Barbados.
Gibson had a chance to observe the then teenage Archer s progress when he returned to the Caribbean as coach of the West Indies in 2010.
Archer, whose father is English, was included in the host country s World Cup squad on the back of just three one-day international appearances after completing a three-year qualification period in March.
"He s fresh and he s obviously talented and he s got a lot of pace and he s from Barbados, so I m glad that they picked him," Gibson, also a former England bowling coach, told reporters on Tuesday.
Archer s ability to bowl at speeds of 90 mph, allied to a variety of alternative deliveries including a slower ball, has seen the 24-year-old make a name for himself on the Twenty20 franchise circuit.
"He s a very good kid," Gibson said Tuesday. "I ve known him from Barbados when he was a youngster growing up there, so I m really pleased for him.
"He s got a lot of talent, so he s bringing that. He s bringing pace; he bowls quickly. And he s a match-winner. So hopefully he won t have much of a say in this game, but then he ll have a really good tournament once this game is over."
Asked if Archer had been "on his radar" when he was coach of the West Indies, Gibson replied: "He was only about 16 when I was there, so he wasn t on my radar.
"But it s well-documented that they didn t pick him for the Under-19s and then he chose a different path.
"I m really happy for him... I know that he s a good boy and I wish him well."
