England Test captain Ben Stokes has come out in defence of Jofra Archer. The fast bowler was pulled out of the England vs New Zealand 1st Test, starting June 4 at Lord’s, due to his Indian Premier League (IPL) commitment with the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had stated workload management, i.e., Archer not being in Test match shape after 4 months of T20 cricket. Two former England captains, Michael Vaughan and Michael Atherton, had come hard at the ECB, criticising them for allowing Archer to play for Rajasthan until May 29, instead of calling him back to England.
Doull attacks Jofra Archer
However, former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull came out hard at Archer himself. Doull couldn’t fathom how the ECB can allow a centrally contracted player to miss the first Test match of the English home summer. He believes Rajasthan should’ve been told to allow Archer to practice with the red ball, considering it’s something New Zealand pacers have done in the past. Doull didn’t stop there. He questioned Archer’s desire to play Test cricket for England.
“It’s ludicrous. Absolutely ludicrous. How are you paying this guy up to £1m per year and he’s not available for your first Test match? It is absolutely ludicrous. The last time that New Zealand came here… Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Matt Henry were all practicing in between games in the IPL with a red ball and getting through overs and overs and overs so that they were ready to go when they arrived.
Simon Doull says that Jofra Archer being unavailable for England’s first New Zealand Test, following his involvement in the IPL, is “completely wrong” pic.twitter.com/TjWdKzhR7c
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 3, 2026I think they arrived 5 days before the first Test after the IPL and that previous tour. Okay, it didn’t work out. New Zealand lost the series 3-0. But there is no reason that Archer couldn’t have been bowling 6 or 7 overs in between days. The fact that he’s not doing that tells me he has no interest in playing Test cricket.
Why is the ECB not sending anyone out there or having discussions with Kumar Sangakkara (RR head coach) and the team, saying we need him to be ready for Test matches? We’ve allowed him to come to you; in between that, he needs to be bowling 5 to 7 overs with the red ball so that he’s ready to go. And there’s enough time. If you’re doing that in between games, there’s enough time to come back here for a week and get ready for a Test match. There’s no issue with that. So, I think it’s completely wrong,” Doull said on Sky Sports Cricket.
Ben Stokes defends Archer & ECB
However, Stokes doesn’t agree with the sentiments. Unlike former cricketers, most of whom are stuck in the past, the modern generation of cricketers realise the reality of international cricket. Barring Indian players, most other cricketers now prioritise franchise league cricket.
The boards realise this as well. That’s why they offer hybrid contracts and even allow some to turn up for just ICC events. Kane Williamson, Trent Boult and Tim David are some of the examples. Stokes realises if the ECB or England push Archer too much, he might just retire from international cricket.
He’s an asset they can’t afford without. Moreover, he was pushed earlier in his career, which forced him out for nearly 3 years. Considering a fast bowler like Archer doesn’t have a long career, he needs to utilise his prime. That means playing in the IPL for money worth his 3-year ECB contract.
“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. A lot of the points people are making around Jof and that situation are to do with the landscape when they were playing.
England captain Ben Stokes responds to those criticising Jofra Archer's absence from the England squad, following his IPL involvement pic.twitter.com/iAG4MoHTT4
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 3, 2026But it’s completely different now. There are opportunities for cricketers now that there were not 10 to 20 years ago. Yes, in an ideal situation it would be unbelievably great to have everyone 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.
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. 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,” Stokes told reporters at Lord’s.
Ben Stokes defends Jofra Archer for skipping ENG vs NZ 1st Test after Simon Doull’s scathing remarks Inside Sport India.
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