England captain Stokes defends decision to rest Archer for opening test v NZ
Cricket – The Ashes – Australia v England – Third Test – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia – December 20, 2025 England’s Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes walk off after the end of Australia innings REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
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LONDON, June 3 : Ben Stokes defended England’s decision to rest Jofra Archer for the opening test against New Zealand at Lord’s after the fast bowler’s Indian Premier League stint, with the captain warning that mishandling such situations could drive players away from international cricket.
Archer played 16 IPL matches as Rajasthan Royals reached the playoffs, and England coach Brendon McCullum suggested the 31-year-old could also miss the second game of the series.
“I know it has been spoken about the last couple of weeks about that situation. I totally understand people’s frustrations around the situation but there is also another side to it,” Stokes told reporters on Wednesday.
“A lot of it has got to do with the landscape of cricket and where it is at, at the moment… There is opportunity for cricketers now that there wasn’t 10 or 20 years ago.
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“There is a situation in which 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.”
In the past, England players have left their IPL teams midway through the tournament to play for their country.
Stokes emphasised the need for his side to deliver a strong performance after their recent heavy Ashes defeat in Australia.
England’s aggressive tactics were widely criticised, with former players like Michael Vaughan suggesting they needed to get back to basics to get results.
“There’s been a lot being said over a long period of time now, but what I say doesn’t really matter,” Stokes said.
“What does matter is what happens at the end of the game this week, the end of the series, if we win or lose. You’ll be seeing the England team going out there still desperate to win.
“You’ve heard it from Brendon, we’ll go out there and try to win this series playing some good cricket.”
Fast bowler Ollie Robinson and spinner Shoaib Bashir are expected to be named in the team on Thursday. Uncapped opening batter Emilio Gay and fast bowler Sonny Baker were also included in the 12-man squad.
Source: Reuters
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