Don't pick Jofra Archer for second Test, Paul Farbrace tells England

Times

3 days ago

England have been advised not to pick Jofra Archer for the second Test against India by the fast bowler's head coach at Sussex after his long-awaited return to red-ball cricket.
Archer, 30, is in contention to be named in the England squad for the Edgbaston Test, which begins next Wednesday, after bowling 18 overs in the County Championship against Durham, having not played a first-class game in four years.
He took his first red-ball wicket in 1,501 days and could soon make his first Test appearance since February 2021 but Paul Farbrace, the Sussex head coach and formerly England's assistant coach, believes Archer is not ready for that arena just yet.
'The conversation we've had was that he would come and play in this game and then he'd be assessed at the end of this game,' Farbrace said.
'It's up to Rob [Key, England's managing director] and Luke [Wright, the national selector] and Ben [Stokes, the captain] and Brendon McCullum [the coach] to decide whether they want to pick him to play at Edgbaston on Wednesday. When I'm asked — and I haven't been yet — all I'll report back is that he looks in great rhythm, he bowled very nicely, he's bowled 18 overs so far in the game, it's their decision whether they pick him or not.
'If I was in their situation my honest answer would be that I wouldn't pick Jofra for the next Test match. I would save him for the third Test match [at Lord's].
'I'd pick the same team for the next game and bring Jofra back into the third game of the series. That's how I would manage him but I'm no longer involved in that. If they choose to ask my opinion, that would be my view.'
Archer has been laid low by a succession of injuries, including serious elbow and back issues, since his last Test appearance, in Ahmedabad against India in February 2021. However, after making a successful white-ball return for England, he wants to restart his Test career this summer before the Ashes winter.
Archer's wicket against Durham was his first red-ball wicket in 1,501 days
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England are just as keen to involve him again, with Wright admitting this month that the England management had earmarked the second Test for his return.
Archer looked good on a slow Riverside pitch, finishing with figures of one for 32 as Sussex drew with Durham. But Farbrace believes that England's five-wicket win at Headingley to lead the five-match series means there is no need to rush his return.
'They've just won the last Test match and there's no reason why they shouldn't stick with the same team for Edgbaston,' he said. 'I would be definitely sticking with Chris Woakes for Edgbaston because he knows the pitch inside out. Why change the team? They've just the Test match at Headingley. They've set themselves up nicely for the series.
'The whole point of this was that he got some red-ball overs, he bowled with good pace, he bowled with good accuracy, his body's in good shape which is fantastic and we'd all love to see Jofra playing for England because England having Jofra available makes England a much better team and gives us a much better chance of winning the big series. So let's look after him and be careful with him but it is fantastic to have him back.'
If England do not select him for Edgbaston, Archer may instead be made available for Sussex's Division One fixture against Warwickshire, which starts at Hove on Sunday.