Tag: Jofra Archer

England could face a tricky decision over Jofra Archer’s return, with coach Brendon McCullum “hopeful” that the fast bowler will be available for next week’s second Test against New Zealand.

Archer, despite having an England central contract, was not considered for the series opener at Lord’s following a lengthy stint in the Indian Premier League.

The 31-year-old rested up instead in his native Barbados as England, who are looking to recover from a humiliating Ashes series loss in Australia, started their international season with a comprehensive 115-run win over the Black Caps.

England’s pace attack made the most of excessively seam-friendly conditions in what was the 150th Test staged at Lord’s, the most of any ground, with Ollie Robinson and Gus Atkinson taking seven wickets each and Josh Tongue bagging five.

The trio will all expect to feature at the Oval, where England will bid to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Express quick Archer, however, has long been regarded as a first-choice selection when fit and available.

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir did not send down a single over at Lord’s but, with improved batting conditions expected at the Oval, England may decide they still need a specialist slow bowler.

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Archer is due back in England later this week and could be added to the squad.

“In the next couple of days we’ll probably drill down on that but we’re hopeful he will be available for the second Test, then we’ll work out conditions-wise where we’re at,” said McCullum.

“He’s following a plan (in Barbados). He’s bowling.

“We completely trust Jof and he’s shown us in the past what he does, which is get himself ready based on the plans we get together and come up with. He’s always turned up in the condition we wanted from him.”

England captain Ben Stokes is the fourth seamer in the pace attack, and the all-rounder was more of a support act at Lord’s, a ground where he often has been the star of the show.

He only bowled himself for seven overs in the match, taking one wicket on Sunday’s fourth and final morning, and was dismissed for 12 and nought.

Batters on both sides struggled on a pitch of sharply uneven bounce, but Stokes has been light on runs for England for a couple of years.

Since the start of 2024, he has averaged a modest 27.09, with just one hundred in his past 48 innings.

Stokes has just moved down a place in the batting order to number seven, and McCullum believes his skipper, who turned 35 during the first Test, has the experience to succeed in the new role.

“Stokesy obviously hasn’t got the runs that he wanted of late but I’m confident with the work he’s been doing,” said McCullum. “I feel like he’s moving a lot better. I feel like his fluency is starting to come back.

“Number seven is quite a nice role for him. With his experience and cricketing nous, he’s able to operate and guide the tail quite nicely, plus he’s got the raw power if you’re eight or nine wickets down.”

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England captain Ben Stokes said the “landscape of cricket” has changed as he defended Jofra Archer’s absence from the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s because of the fast bowler’s IPL commitments.

Archer was a member of the Rajasthan Royals team beaten by Gujarat Titans in the IPL qualifier last Friday and is not with England for the first Test against the New Zealand at Lord’s, starting Thursday.

The 31-year-old is now in Barbados, the country of his birth, and will not return to England until after the first Test. The second Test at the Oval begins on June 17, and Archer could now miss that match as well.

Archer, however, still has an England central contract.

Former England captain Michael Atherton has labelled the situation incredibly frustrating, with Simon Doull, a former New Zealand paceman, branding the injury-prone express quick’s absence from the series opener “absolutely ludicrous”.

But Stokes, speaking to reporters at Lord’s on Wednesday, said there were two sides to the story.

“I totally understand people’s frustrations around it, but there is another side to it. A lot of it has to do with the landscape of cricket and where it is at the moment.”

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“A lot of points people are making around Jof and that situation, are to do with the landscape when they were playing. But it’s completely different now. There’s opportunities for cricketers now that there was not 10, 15, 20 years ago,” he said.

“Yes, in an ideal situation, it would be unbelievably great to have everyone who you want available at every single opportunity. That is not the way of cricket at the moment. There is so much more out there for players.”

Stokes said that no one should question Archer’s desire to play for his country.

“There is a situation where it could get messy and players like Jofra might not play for England again if you handle it in a different way, and that is not good for anyone,” he said.

“Jofra has shown that he’s committed and loves playing for England. Just because he’s not available for this first Test match does not change that,” he concluded.

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England’s Jofra Archer starred with bat and ball as Rajasthan Royals sealed the last play-off spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 with a 30-run win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday.

Archer struck a 15-ball 32 after being promoted to number seven in the batting order to lift Rajasthan to 205-8 from a precarious 119-5 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.

He then turned up in his primary role as a fast bowler, taking 3-17 as Mumbai finished on 175-9 despite Suryakumar Yadav’s 60.

Former champions Rajasthan, who have been driven by strong performances including by their 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Soorayavanshi, knocked Punjab Kings from fourth place to complete the play-off line-up with 16 points.

Punjab ended the league stage with 14 points and needed Rajasthan to lose the game to prolong their season.

The result also ended Kolkata Knight Riders’ slim chances.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, and Sunrisers Hyderabad had already booked their play-off spots.

Bengaluru will face Gujarat in the first qualifier on Tuesday, and the winner will reach the final to be played in Ahmedabad on May 31.

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Hyderabad and Rajasthan will clash in the eliminator on Wednesday, with the loser out of the tournament and the winner heading into the second qualifier.

Put in to bat first, Rajasthan lost their openers Yashasvi Jaiswal, for 27, and teenage prodigy Sooryavanshi, for four, to England spinner Will Jacks and Indian seamer Deepak Chahar.

Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel hit 38, and Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka struck 29 off 15 balls before Rajasthan were five down in the 13th over.

Archer walked in two places above his usual number nine, and counter-attacked with three sixes and a four.

He departed in the 18th over but inspired Ravindra Jadeja, who hit an 11-ball 19, and Nandre Burger, who struck 10 off three balls, to help Rajasthan plunder 73 runs from the last five overs.

An upbeat Archer then rattled Mumbai with the ball as he sent back Rohit Sharma, caught behind for a fourth-ball duck in the first over.

He bowled Naman Dhir for six and fellow quick Burger dismissed Ryan Rickelton for 12 as five-time champions Mumbai soon slipped to 38-4.

Suryakumar put on key stands including a sixth-wicket partnership of 48 with skipper Hardik Pandya, who made 34, to keep Mumbai in the contest.

Archer broke the stand with the wicket of Pandya and Suryakumar’s departure in the 18th over cleared Rajasthan’s path to the play-offs.

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KANDY: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has brushed aside concerns over Jofra Archer’s pace threat ahead of Tuesday’s high-stakes Super Eight encounter against England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

England enter the contest with momentum on their side after a commanding 51-run victory over Sri Lanka at the same venue on Sunday.

Pakistan, meanwhile, have a solitary point in their Super Eight group after their opening fixture against New Zealand in Colombo was washed out due to persistent rain.

Archer played a pivotal role in England’s win, producing a fiery spell while defending 147 and removing Sri Lankan openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara to set the tone early.

However, Farhan made it clear during the pre-match press conference in Kandy that Pakistan are not intimidated.

“It’s not that big a deal to face Jofra Archer. We also have bowlers who clock 140-plus, and they have come prepared. We’ve done our preparation as well,” he said.

The opener stressed that confidence within the Pakistan camp remains intact despite the circumstances.

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“We are confident. The team has played good cricket here before, and we will give England a tough time,” Farhan stated, adding that tactical calls such as opting to bat or bowl rest with the captain and coaching staff.

Playing in Kandy for the first time, Sahibzada Farhan revealed he sought insights from senior players, including Babar Azam.

“I have never played here, but our senior players have. I spoke to Babar Azam, and he said the ball comes nicely onto the bat here. The other boys who have played here are saying the same, that these are batting-friendly tracks,” he noted.

At the same time, he acknowledged that conditions in the recent England-Sri Lanka match suggested some variation.

“In the last match, the ball was gripping, and the pitch looked different, so we’ll assess the conditions tomorrow,” he added.

Farhan also addressed Pakistan’s recent struggles with the bat, admitting that the top order must shoulder greater responsibility.

“We have been collapsing in batting, and we need to think about that. We have to carry the innings deeper from the top order. We are working on it, and there will be improvement,” he said.

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MELBOURNE: England pace spearhead Jofra Archer was ruled out of the rest of the Ashes with a side strain, while batter Ollie Pope was axed for the Boxing Day Test against Australia.

Archer has arguably been England’s best bowler over the first three Tests, sending down 80 overs and claiming nine wickets.

He is replaced by Gus Atkinson, who leads the attack alongside Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse and skipper Ben Stokes, with Will Jacks retained as the spin option.

It is a major setback for England, who are 3-0 down in the Ashes and desperate to restore pride at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) starting Friday.

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They are already without quick Mark Wood, who bowled just 11 overs for the tour before succumbing to a knee injury.

The under-performing Pope paid for his poor form at number three, with Jacob Bethell taking over in the only other change.

Opener Ben Duckett, who was purportedly shown drunk on an unverified video in between the second and third Tests, managed to hold his spot.

England squad for fourth Ashes Test

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue

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BRISBANE: Australia skipper Steve Smith and England fast bowler Jofra Archer were involved in a heated altercation during the second Ashes Test here at the Gabba on Sunday.

Smith propelled Australia over the line with an unbeaten 23 off just nine balls, which was laced with two sixes and two fours, including two boundaries and a maximum in Archer’s over.

With this, Australia took a 2-0 lead in the Ashes, defeating England by eight wickets in a commanding all-round display.

However, things got heated. Smith took on Archer, who was bowling at 150km/h. The right-hander hit a four off the first off Archer and missed the next ball in a bid to hit an uppercut.

 

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After this, both exchanged words with the pacer, asking Smith why he was playing shots when there was nothing on the scoreboard.

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“Why play your shots when there’s no rush on the scoreboard?” Archer had asked Smith.

The ace batter gave a cheeky reply, “You bowl fast when there’s nothing going on, champion.”

Archer did not bowl another over, as Smith launched Gus Atkinson over deep square leg for six before an animated celebration with Weatherald.

After the match, Smith commented on the spat and explained the reason behind his aggressive approach.

“I heard there’s a bit of a storm coming around. We obviously had a few behind us. It was a chance to just play a few shots,” he said.

“The adrenaline was pumping at the end there. Obviously, we didn’t need too many to win, and Jof was bowling pretty quick.

I had a short boundary behind me, and I thought, ‘Why not just try to get up and under a few, and put a few in the stands?’ Fortunately, it hit the middle of the bat on a couple of occasions,” Smith explained.

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South Africa suffered the heaviest loss in ODI history as England dismissed the tourists for just 72 in a 342-run victory inspired by Jofra Archer’s blistering bowling and Jacob Bethell’s maiden hundred on Sunday.

Chasing 415 to complete a clean sweep of the three-match series, the Proteas surrendered in humiliating fashion in 20.5 ignominious overs in Southampton.

It was the biggest winning margin in the history of the ODI format when batting first, surpassing India’s 317-run victory against Sri Lanka in 2023.

South Africa narrowly avoided beating their lowest ODI total of 69 against Australia in 1993.

England’s previous biggest margin of victory was a 242-run success against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2018.

After Bethell smashed 110 from just 82 balls and Joe Root reached a typically efficient 100, Archer set about demolishing the South Africans.

The pace bowler finished with impressive figures of 4-18 in nine overs as he removed four of South Africa’s top five batsmen.

It was the kind of fearsome form that underlined why England are so keen to keep Archer fit for the Ashes series in Australia later this year.

Beaten by seven wickets in the series opener at Headingley before losing the second game at Lord’s by five runs, England managed to save face thanks to their record-breaking performance in the final match.

England’s fifth-highest ODI total of 414-5 was more than enough to see off South Africa.

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Jos Buttler’s 62 not out and 62 from opener Jamie Smith added to the run spree alongside the precocious Bethell and the prolific Root.

Bethell’s vibrant innings featured 13 fours and three sixes as the 21-year-old showed why England have been so keen to fast-track him in all formats.

He easily surpassed his previous career-best score of 96 in a Test match against New Zealand in 2024.

Bethell, who will become England’s youngest captain in an ODI series against Ireland later this month, fell for one against South Africa at Headingley.

But he hit 58 from 40 balls at Lord’s, having been moved up to number four, and maintained that form to prove his point with an even more dynamic display on Sunday.

The Proteas’ chase got off to a disastrous start when Aiden Markram was caught behind off Archer in the first over.

Wiaan Mulder also perished for a duck in the next over as he lofted Brydon Carse to Harry Brook.

Under a suddenly leaden sky that favoured the bowlers, Archer strengthened England’s grip, inducing an edge from Ryan Rickelton that left the tourists reeling on 6-3.

Proving unplayable with his potent combination of pace and bounce, Archer had Matthew Breetzke ducking into a caught-behind to end his bid for a sixth successive ODI half-century.

Archer’s blitz wasn’t over as he dialled up the pace to over 90mph and had Tristan Stubbs caught in the slips by Will Jacks.

South Africa had slumped to 18-5, and England showed no mercy, and Adil Rashid took three wickets to ensure they finished a difficult series on a memorable note.

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Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad believes Jofra Archer should be rested for the fifth and final Test against India, starting July 31 at The Oval, and has backed Gus Atkinson to take his place.

Archer made a highly anticipated return to Test cricket earlier this series after a four-year absence caused by recurring elbow and back injuries.

The speedster marked his comeback in style during the third Test at Lord’s, taking match figures of 5-105 and playing a key role in England’s dramatic win.

His spell included early damage with the new ball and crucial wickets in the second innings, notably Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar.

Determined to help England clinch the series, Jofra Archer pushed through for the fourth Test in Manchester, claiming four wickets for 151 runs.

However, he looked visibly uncomfortable, especially during India’s mammoth second innings where they batted out a draw at 425/4.

With Archer clearly struggling physically, Stuart Broad has urged the team management to avoid risking a long-term injury.

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“We can’t not have Jofra Archer for four years, bring him back and then bowl him into the ground and not see him for another four years,” Broad said.

Broad has called for Gus Atkinson to be given a shot, noting that the young quick hasn’t yet been tested against a top-quality Test opponent.

“I think Gus Atkinson has to play. I know he has not had any workload, but we need to see him. He hasn’t been really challenged against top-level opposition in Test cricket yet,” he said.

Broad also pointed out that Brydon Carse looked “knackered” during the fourth Test and could use a breather, while Josh Tongue, who featured earlier in the series, could be a like-for-like replacement if England opt to rest Jofra Archer.

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LONDON: Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes starred with three-wicket hauls as England defeated India by 22 runs in a thrilling Lord’s Test here on Monday.

Chasing a challenging 193-run target on the final day, India fell short against spirited England despite valiant contributions from the lower order.

Mohammad Siraj (4) was the last man to fall in a disappointing manner as Shoaib Bashir managed to sneak through one through the gate while Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten with a valiant 61 off 181 deliveries.

For England, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes starred with three wickets each to rattle India batting lineup. The right-arm pacer struck twice on day five morning, as England closed in on a dramatic win over India.

India resumed on 58-4 after lively medium-pacer Stokes had bowled nightwatchman Akash Deep with what became the last ball of Sunday’s play.

But from 71-4, the match swung England way as India lost three wickets for 11 runs in collapsing to 82-7.

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Pant, two balls after charging down the pitch to drive Archer for four in typically aggressive fashion, was bowled for nine by the express quick with a superb full-length delivery that clipped the top of off stump.

India were looking to Rahul to anchor their chase following the opener’s first-innings hundred. But Rahul had added just six runs to his overnight 33 when he was lbw on review to Stokes after getting too far across his stumps.

Jofra took the key wicket of Rishabh Pant, who was castled with a beautiful delivery. Soon after Archer, playing his first Test in four years, sent Washington Sundar back as India slumped to 82-7.

The eight-wicket pair scored steadily before there was another flashpoint in an already heated match when Jadeja collided with bowler Brydon Carse while running between the wickets.

Reddy then cover-drove Stokes in stylish fashion for India’s first four in 13 overs before he fell to Woakes.

Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy (17) took some time and checked England’s progress. But Reddy was caught behind off veteran paceman Chris Woakes on the stroke of lunch as India were reduced to 112-8.

England captain Ben Stokes, whose career has been blighted by knee trouble, bowled himself for a lengthy spell of 15.2 overs and took the key wicket of India opener KL Rahul.

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LONDON: Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes’ late strike nudged England ahead on day two of the Lord’s Test against India here on Friday.

England fast bowler Jofra Archer struck an early blow as he made a thrilling return to Test cricket, before in-form India captain Shubman Gill fell cheaply.

Archer removed Yashasvi Jaiswal with just his third ball after more than four years of injury-induced exile from Test cricket, and Gill, who had previously made a mammoth 585 runs in four innings this series, including three hundreds, was later caught behind for a mere 16.

India were 145-3 in reply to England’s first-innings 387 at stumps on the second day of the third Test, a deficit of 242 runs.

KL Rahul was 53 not out, alongside Rishabh Pant, who was unbeaten on 19.

Express quick Archer shone at Lord’s during England’s 2019 50-over World Cup final win and also made his Test debut that season at the ground, where his bouncer concussed Australia’s Steve Smith.

With just his third ball Friday, the 30-year-old Archer unleashed a 90 mph full-length delivery that had a squared-up Jaiswal edging to Harry Brook at second slip.

Jofra Archer roared in celebration, with the often restrained crowd at a sun-drenched Lord’s erupting in raucous cheers.

England’s backing for Archer, in the hope he can star in the 2025/26 Ashes in Australia, has often been questioned during his lengthy absence.

But an opening over where he several times topped 90 mph and a return of 1-22 in 10 overs was a reminder of Archer’s quality.

England captain Ben Stokes’s career has been blighted by injuries, and there were fresh concerns when he suffered a groin strain batting on Thursday.

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But the lively seamer, in no obvious discomfort, reduced India to 74-2 when Karun Nair (40) edged him low to first slip, where Joe Root held a brilliant left-handed catch.

That grab meant Root set a new Test record of 211 catches for an outfielder.

Veteran all-rounder Chris Woakes’ three previous wickets this series had come at a hugely expensive average of nearly 97 apiece.

But the 36-year-old made a key breakthrough when he had Gill edging defensively to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who held a good catch standing up to the stumps, with India now 107-3.

Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah gained a coveted place on the Lord’s honours boards with a five-wicket haul before England paceman Brydon Carse’s maiden Test fifty frustrated India.

Bumrah, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, took 5-74 in 27 overs as England were bowled out after lunch.

Bumrah’s haul included a brilliant burst Friday of three for one in seven balls that reduced England, who resumed on 251-4, to 271-7, with the fast bowler dismissing Stokes, century-maker Root and Woakes.

But tailender Carse frustrated India with 56 after he shared an eighth-wicket stand of 84 with Smith, who made Rahul pay for dropping him in the slips on five with an innings of 51.

That followed Smith’s excellent 184 not out and 88 during India’s crushing 336-run win in the second Test at Edgbaston last week, where the tourists levelled this five-match series at 1-1 despite resting Bumrah in Birmingham.

Root, 99 not out overnight, went to a hundred Friday with a first-ball boundary off Bumrah.

Root’s 37th Test century took him into fifth place on an all-time list headed by India’s Sachin Tendulkar with 51 hundreds. Stokes had added just five runs to his overnight 39 when he was bowled by a Bumrah delivery that jagged back into his off stump.

Next ball, Woakes fell for a golden duck following a thin edge to reserve wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, deputising for the injured Pant. Carse survived the hat-trick delivery, but England were still struggling at 271-7.

Jasprit Bumrah later bowled Archer to complete his five-wicket haul.

Carse was dropped on either side of completing a 77-ball fifty in style by driving Mohammed Siraj for six before the paceman bowled him to end England’s innings.

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