England’s captain, Ben Stokes, has offered a glimpse into Jofra Archer’s unwavering desire to make a comeback to Test cricket. According to Stokes, Archer has been subtly nudging him with text messages, signaling his readiness to return to the sport’s longest format.
Stokes recounted an instance prior to England’s series against Zimbabwe where he received a concise, one-word message from Archer: “Zim?”. The all-rounder admitted he had to instruct Archer to “hold it right there.”
Ben Stokes elaborated on Archer’s eagerness during Thursday’s pre-first-Test press conference, stating, “He’s been absolutely desperate to put the white shirt back on. Randomly, a couple of times, he would just send me a text saying, ‘Zim?’.”
Archer’s journey back to the Test arena has been a challenging one, marked by a series of severe injuries that have kept him out of First-Class cricket since 2021. He was not considered for selection for the ongoing first Test against India at Headingley, which commenced on Friday, as he is currently recuperating from a thumb injury sustained during the IPL.
However, England selector Luke Wright had previously indicated the possibility of Archer returning for the second Test, scheduled from July 2-6 at Edgbaston.
