Jofra Archer will sit out Sunday’s one-day international against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, with England’s medical and coaching staff intent on managing the fast bowler’s workload before the Ashes opener in Perth next month.
Archer, 30, returned impressively to Test cricket this summer after more than four years of elbow and back problems. The latest decision is precautionary rather than injury-related; England want him fresh for the Lions camp in early November and, ultimately, for the five-Test series that follows.
The right-arm quick has already skipped the current T20I leg of the tour. He, Mark Wood and Josh Tongue are due to land in New Zealand on Thursday, joining Gus Atkinson, who has been training alone with a white Dukes ball in Napier. All four will then move on to Perth for a week with the Lions, starting 2 November, giving the fast-bowling group an extra head-start before the rest of the Test squad arrives.
Only Archer and Brydon Carse from England’s seven-strong Ashes pace cartel are involved in the limited-overs matches. Matthew Potts stays home a little longer after completing Durham’s County Championship campaign, while captain Ben Stokes is squeezing in a brief family visit to Christchurch.
Critics have questioned the wisdom of scheduling just one warm-up match – against the Lions in Perth – before the first Test on 28 November. Yet England’s management argue that individualised preparation is the best way to keep bodies intact. As managing director Rob Key put it last month: “We’ve worked so hard to get to this point … It is the last little step. So we get this bit right and hopefully we have every option available to us going into that first Test in Perth.”
Archer’s break also spares him a return to a ground that evokes mixed memories. In November 2019, during only his fifth Test, he sent down 42 overs in a single New Zealand innings that reached 615 for nine declared. James Anderson has exceeded that workload once, Stuart Broad never has. Archer reported elbow pain within weeks, the start of a long spell on the sidelines. The same match also brought off-field ugliness when he was racially abused by a spectator, who later received a two-year ban.
England’s fast-bowling coach Neil Killeen said on Wednesday the decision to rest Archer was “simple risk-management”, adding: “He’s fit, he’s keen, but we’re thinking bigger picture.”
New Zealand coach Gary Stead noted the visitors’ caution but insisted his side would focus on their own plans. “If Archer plays later in the series, great; if not, we’ll concentrate on the bowlers in front of us,” Stead said.
Team-selection secrecy
In a minor departure from the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes playbook, England have declined to name their XI 24 hours in advance of Friday’s final T20I at Eden Park. McCullum has often revealed Test sides early to promote clarity, yet white-ball captain Jos Buttler was coy at training, merely confirming that “one or two” squad players would get a chance.
Behind the scenes, coaches are juggling two separate priorities: closing out a short T20 series and nursing the Test quicks. Buttler admitted the balancing act is not straightforward. “We’re mindful of Perth, absolutely, but we’ve also got silverware on the line this week,” he said.
Substance over hype
Over the last 18 months England have trumpeted a bold, attacking approach across formats. For the Ashes, though, they seem determined to leave as little as possible to chance, particularly with a bowling unit that remains vital yet fragile. Archer at 90mph, Wood similarly rapid and Tongue’s steepling bounce could offer Stokes the point of difference he lacked in Australia two winters ago.
Atkinson, uncapped in Tests but impressive on white-ball debut, spoke about learning from senior peers. “Watching Woody go through his spells and seeing how Jofra structures his run-up, there’s so much to pick up,” the Surrey quick said. He has been practising with the Kookaburra, hoping to master movement that disappears quickly once the lacquer goes.
Meanwhile, Potts’ late arrival has been framed as a positive. Durham’s championship push kept him bowling longer spells into September, effectively serving the purpose of an overseas training block.
A cautious optimism
England’s plan, then, is clear enough: wrap their fast men in cotton wool now, unleash them later. The risk, of course, is under-preparation. One competitive fixture – Lions v England – must serve as final rehearsal for a five-Test Ashes campaign likely to feature unforgiving heat, flat pitches and Australia’s formidable top order.
Stokes sounded a note of realism in a recent podcast: “We’ll never get everything perfect. The goal is to turn up in Perth with as many of our big quicks as possible, feeling fresh and confident. After that, it’s about adapting on the fly.”
For Archer, who last faced Australia in the 2019 series at home, the next four weeks could shape the rest of his career. Another injury would be a cruel setback; uninterrupted overs could remind everyone why he is still regarded as England’s trump card.
Either way, England have made their choice: patience now, hoping for pace later. Only the Perth sun – and perhaps a few Kiwi pitches along the way – will reveal whether that cautious route pays off.
