ENGLAND JOF AND RUNNING

Captain Buttler excited to have Archer back but warns speedster must be given breathing space to find his feet again

- NEIL SQUIRES

JOS BUTTLER has England supporters to manage their expectations of Jofra Archer when he makes his long-awaited comeback at Headingley tonight.

The England white-ball captain confirmed yesterday Archer will play against Pakistan in what will be his first appearance for his country on home soil in almost four years.

But Buttler asked for the speedster to be given some breathing space in a series which doubles as a warmup for next month's T20 World Cup.

"It's great to see him back and fit and bowling fast and just being back around the group," said Buttler. "I know how much he's missed that. He's looking great but you have to temper expectations.

"He's been out of international cricket for a long time and you can never quite replicate that. We all know what a superstar he has been but don't expect too much too soon.

"He's missed a lot of cricket and he's desperate to get back out there and be a big part of the team. Absolutely he makes us a better side with a better chance of winning games but we have to ease him back in.

"The great success would be him coming through this series with a big smile on his face and his body holding up.

"He's got such a high level of skill that he's always going to perform well but he needs to just enjoy being back playing cricket. How he bowls is by the by."