He signed a two-year contract last year in the first phase of multi-year deals, turning down the maximum three years from England, which given his injury record was a very generous offer from Rob Key. It is not a bottomless pit, however, and in professional sport everyone eventually has to justify the investment.

But it is not just England that are owed some reward, so of course principally is Archer for the years of painful recovery from elbow surgery and a back stress fracture that have exacted a toll physically and mentally. “He hasn’t been around for a while but everything he does, there’s noise around him. Mentally it’s been tough. That’s why we try to get him right,” said Key. “It’s always been a balance with Jofra where you’re trying to take into account his mental well-being and actually how we get him ready for what we need. I’ve always been aware of that and the toll it’s been on him. Fingers crossed he gets the bit of luck he deserves really.

“Jofra is a bowler that’s just so special you do everything you can to try to get him back playing. He’s one of those rare cricketers. When you look at the attributes you want for a bowler in international cricket, Jofra has all of them. We’ve taken the longer road this time but, as always with Jofra, it’s fingers crossed until he’s out there playing. You’re waiting for something really good to happen and you don’t quite believe it until he’s there.”

There have been many false starts, aborted comebacks and relapses that frustrate Archer and sadden supporters. He struggles to comprehend why everything he does is news and it affects him whenever there is comment around his injury record. He is sensitive and takes to heart some of the nastier comments on social media. There is no excuse for those, there never is, but he makes headlines because he is so highly valued and many just want to see him terrorising Steve Smith again. England have little to throw back at Australians most of the time so cling to a bowler like Archer, elevating him to a rarified status despite playing only a handful of Tests.

This time it feels like make or break. He is likely to only play a second team game for Sussex before the Pakistan series at home next month that is England’s only preparation for the World Cup. The opening T20 at Headingley on May 22 could be his first game of professional first team cricket for over a year. Nobody knows how he will cope. England play four group games at the World Cup in 11 days from June 4 and if they progress to the Super Eight phase another three fixtures in just over a week. It is a rapid turnaround and the intensity will test Archer’s recovery because it is playing multiple matches in a short period that can cause a relapse.  Archer himself has admitted he is not sure if he can cope with more injuries saying recently “I don’t know if I’ve got another stop-start year in me”. It was sad to hear but totally understandable. England too would feel robbed after waiting for so long.