Jofra Archer, an England pacer, will miss the remainder of the summer due to a stress fracture but wicketkeeper-bat Jonny Bairstow will be making his national comeback in the one-off Test against Ireland after recovering from a leg injury.
Jofra Archer, an England pacer, will miss the remainder of the summer due to a stress fracture but wicketkeeper-bat Jonny Bairstow will be making his national comeback in the one-off Test against Ireland after recovering from a leg injury.
Midway into the current IPL 2023, Archer returned home and recent scans revealed he has sustained a recurrence of a stress fracture to his right elbow. The pacer will now spend time with the England and Sussex medical teams, who are responsible for managing his injuries.
“It has been a frustrating and upsetting period for Jofra Archer,”
ECB Managing Director for England Men’s Cricket, Rob Key, said.
“He was making good progress until a recurrence of the elbow injury, which kept him out for an extended period previously. We wish him the best of luck with his recovery. I’m sure we will see Jofra back to his best and winning games for England, whatever the format. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.
England Men’s Test Squad: Ben Stokes (C), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
But after suffering a broken left leg and dislocated ankle, Bairstow is set for a comeback and play for the first time since last August. Ben Foakes loses out as a result of his entry.
“It was a seriously tough decision to leave Ben Foakes out of the squad. He has been excellent for England in the last year, but Jonny Bairstow is one of the best players in the world whose performances last summer epitomized what we are about,”
Key noted.
Seamer Chris Woakes is also returning to the national team for the first time since March 2022. Woakes would play his first Test match on home soil since August 2020 if selected in the 11. The 15-member squad also includes Mark Wood, who took a break from the New Zealand tour.
England have also named batter Ollie Pope as Ben Stokes’s deputy with immediate effect.