England's Jofra Archer may miss the second Test against New Zealand after playing in the IPL qualifier, leaving the side without their main fast bowler.
Jofra Archer will not feature in England's first Test against New Zealand starting Thursday at Lord's after his participation in the Rajasthan Royals' IPL qualifier loss to Gujarat Titans on Friday. England had already listed him as 'unavailable' for the series opener due to fatigue from a lengthy international schedule. The 31-year-old has traveled to his birthplace Barbados and will not rejoin the team before the first Test concludes. The second Test at Lord's is scheduled to begin on 17 June.
Brendon McCullum, England's head coach, stated Archer needs evaluation before a decision is made about his availability for the second Test. 'Jofra we need to assess,' McCullum explained. 'He's having a little bit of a break at the moment.' The coach added that Archer has historically thrived when given time to follow his own training plan, which he appears to be doing now. A decision on Archer's participation will be made after assessing his condition, with the third Test as a potential fallback option if needed.
Archer's absence highlights the growing tension between lucrative franchise cricket commitments and the demands of Test matches. Many England players now face this dilemma annually, as the IPL often concludes just before the start of England's home summer Tests. Jacob Bethell, another England player, left Royal Challengers Bangalore early to recover from a finger injury and is available for selection at Lord's this week.
Archer's unavailability leaves England without their top fast bowler as they aim to recover from a heavy 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia. The series against New Zealand is crucial for rebuilding confidence following the poor performance Down Under. Archer had only recently returned to Test cricket after a four-year injury layoff, making his comeback against India at this very ground in July 2025. His side strain during the Ashes forced him to miss the final two Tests of that series.
Archer's deal with Rajasthan Royals for the 2025 IPL season was valued at approximately £1.18 million. Recent IPL rule changes state players withdrawing for non-medical reasons risk a two-year ban from the competition. Brydon Carse, another England pace bowler, also missed the series after suffering a broken wrist during the IPL and is not expected to play in the New Zealand Tests despite featuring in pre-series training at Loughborough.
England reduced their initial 15-man squad to 12 for the first Test against New Zealand. Shoaib Bashir returns as the first-choice spinner after being omitted from the Ashes squad. Uncapped Sonny Baker is included in the 12, along with Ollie Robinson, who makes his return after a two-year absence from the Test side.