Archer’s Availability for Second Test Remains in Doubt

Jofra Archer is unlikely to be fit for England’s second Test match against New Zealand. The pace bowler missed the opening game at Lord’s, which began on Thursday, due to his commitments with the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Rajasthan side was eliminated from the tournament on Friday after suffering a defeat to the Gujarat Titans in the qualifier.

When England announced their squad for the inaugural Test, the team described Archer as “unavailable” following “a long six months on the road.” The 31-year-old is currently in Barbados, his country of birth, and has stated he will not return to England until after the conclusion of the first Test. The second Test is scheduled to start on June 17.

England head coach Brendon McCullum addressed Archer’s status in comments to BBC Sport. “Jofra we need to assess,” McCullum said. “He's having a little bit of a break at the moment. We've seen in the past we can leave Jof to his own devices, work on his game and follow a plan that has been set. He turns up having that followed that plan to a tee. When we see him we'll work out where he sits and if he's available for the second Test. If not, we'll look at the third Test.”

Archer’s situation highlights the significant tension between the lucrative contracts offered to elite players in franchise cricket and the requirements of international Test matches. This conflict is likely to impact multi-format England players annually, particularly as the conclusion of the IPL often coincides with the start of England’s home summer. While Archer remained with Rajasthan for the duration of their campaign, teammate Jacob Bethell departed Royal Challengers Bangalore—eventual champions—to rest a finger injury. Bethell is eligible to play for England at Lord’s this week.

Archer’s unavailability leaves England without their leading fast bowler as they attempt to recover from a poor Ashes campaign. The upcoming series against New Zealand carries heightened importance following England’s 4-1 defeat in Australia. Archer had returned to Test cricket on this very ground against India in July 2025, ending a four-year absence caused by injuries. He was England’s standout bowler during the Ashes until a side strain forced him to miss the final two matches. For the 2025 IPL season, Archer signed with Rajasthan for a fee of approximately £1.18 million.

Under current IPL regulations, players who withdraw from the tournament without a medical reason face a two-year ban. In addition to Archer, England are also missing fast bowler Brydon Carse, who broke his wrist during the IPL. Although Carse participated in England’s pre-series training camp at Loughborough, he is not expected to feature in the New Zealand series.

England have reduced their initial 15-man squad to 12 players for the first Test. Spinner Shoaib Bashir has been reinstated as the primary spinner after being excluded from the Ashes squad. The revised group also includes uncapped batter Sonny Baker and Ollie Robinson, who has been recalled to the team after a two-year gap.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-02 15:02:34 UTC