LONDON: England are confident that paceman Jofra Archer will be available for the second Test against New Zealand later this month, although head coach Brendon McCullum insists his return to the squad is no guarantee of a place in the starting XI.
Archer pulled out of the first Test at Lord’s following a stint with Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. The pace star is managing his workload in Barbados as he works towards a possible return for the second and third matches of the series.
Following England’s win at Lord’s, McCullum said a final decision on Archer’s availability is expected within the next few days.
“We hope he will be there for the second Test; then we will work situation wise where we are,” McCullum said. “He follows a plan. We have complete confidence in Joff. He’s shown us in the past what he does, and that’s preparing himself based on the plans we put together. He’s always been in the position we’ve wanted from him.”
However, McCullum suggested Archer’s inclusion was uncertain, with England keen to select bowlers best suited to the conditions at The Oval.
England’s seam attack impressed during the first Test, with Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue sharing a low score of 19 wickets. McCullum also praised the performances of team members Sonny Baker and Matthew Fisher who were not selected for the tournament.
“Sonny Baker was also close,” he said. “If wind speed is important and the pitch is flat, we thought he would be a viable option. Fish (Fisher) bowls beautifully, you’ve got Jofra and Brayden Kars (who has not played since breaking his arm in the IPL in March).
“So there’s a lot of players coming through the county set-up and the Lions that are on our radar. There’s some fantastic talent: (Henry) Crowkamp, Nav Sharma, Eddie Jack. They’re all in the set-up and recognized.
Archer has taken 18 wickets at 27.88 in five Tests since his return against India last summer, including a five-wicket haul against Australia in Adelaide in December. Yet he has yet to play in a red-ball match, and England are focused on developing depth rather than relying on one player.
“We need a big bunch of fast bowlers (to pick) based on the conditions you think you’re going to face,” McCullum said. “You’re not always going to get it right, but you try to pick horses for courses based on the conditions to give you the best chance of winning.”
England captain Ben Stokes bowled just seven overs at Lord’s, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir preferred seam bowling.
Robinson was adjudged man of the match on his Test comeback, taking a brilliant 7/77. Both Stokes and McCullum praised Seamer’s performance but challenged him to maintain those standards throughout the remainder of the series.
“I’m happy as captain… the way he spoke this week,” Stokes said. “When things are going well for him it’s easy to rest on your laurels, but the language he’s used in this is a start, so there’s still a lot of work to do (fantastic). As long as Ollie Robinson has the England shirt on his back, it’s good for us.”
“He will definitely be challenged (more) in different situations. The good thing is that on this surface, wind speed is not so important; it’s the ability to be consistent in line and length, which is very natural for the robot.”