Jofra Archer could be back bowling in an England shirt by the end of next month, with the possibility of playing some part in an internal Test match warm-up in Abu Dhabi.
Archer has not played international cricket for more than 18 months, suffering with a long-standing elbow injury followed by a stress fracture of the back while on the comeback trail this summer.
But the 27-year-old is making good progress with his rehabilitation and will travel to the United Arab Emirates at the start of November to continue his training and recovery work with the England Lions squad alongside fellow seamers Brydon Carse and Saqib Mahmood.
The 2019 World Cup winner is not expected to make a competitive comeback until the new year, but team management are considering putting him through his paces during a three-day tune-up game between the senior England side and the second-string Lions starting on November 23 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
ECB performance director Mo Bobat said on Thursday: “He’ll be playing a meaningful part in all of our practice and let’s hope he can play some sort of part in the game at the back end of the trip.