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1 hour ago
England seamer Jofra Archer is “pretty keen” to play Test cricket this summer, says head coach Brendon McCullum.
The 29-year-old has suffered a recurring stress fracture in his elbow and a back stress fracture since he last played Test cricket in 2021.
The fast bowler, who has 42 Test wickets since his debut in the 2019 Ashes, returned to international cricket in March 2023 in England’s ODI series against Bangladesh but suffered elbow discomfort and then did not play international cricket until May 2024.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re always doing the right thing by Jof and understanding the risks involved but I’m pretty sure he’s pretty keen to play Test cricket,” said McCullum.
“If you can add him to the battery of fast bowlers you’re trying to build then it only strengthens the squad.
“Overall, I’m really pleased to see where Jof’s at and it’s great to see him back playing and injury-free at the moment.”
Asked if Archer could play Test cricket this summer, McCullum said: “I guess so, we’ll find out. I’ll sit down with some of the players after this [the Champions Trophy] and work out what their ambitions are. I would imagine Jof would be keen to play Test cricket this summer.”
Since his return, Archer has taken part in the 2024 T20 World Cup, the home series against Australia and tours of the West Indies, India and most recently the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Archer took seven wickets as he played in six of the eight games in India, before claiming six wickets in England’s three Champions Trophy matches.
“Jofra’s been out of competitive cricket for a couple of years, it’s taken a little bit of time to get that rhythm of gameplay back but I think he’s been really good,” said McCullum.
“He’s bowled high pace, he’s played a lot of cricket, he’s been able to get a significant workload under his belt throughout this tournament [the Champions Trophy].
“We’ve seen moments of how great Jof is, even tonight [on Saturday] a couple of wickets he took and the other night against Afghanistan, three with the new ball.”
England’s next Test is a one-off game against Zimbabwe on 22 May, which clashes with the conclusion of the Indian Premier League where Archer is set to play for Rajasthan Royals.
A five-Test series against India follows, before the Ashes from November in Australia.
