LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 14: Jofra Archer of England celebrates dismissing Washington Sundar of India caught and bowled during Day Five of the 3rd Rothesay Test Match between England and India at Lord’s Cricket Ground on July 14, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
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Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the opening one-day international against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui, as England focuses on the bowling squad preparations for the Ashes. The 30-year-old fast bowler is expected to make an appearance for the second ODI in Hamilton next week. He also sat out the ongoing T201 series against the Kiwis.
After facing a prolonged injury leading to being sidelined for nearly four years, Archer made a significant comeback in test cricket this summer. His absence from the first ODI is not due to injury, but rather a strategic move devised by team England to focus on the key pacer’s fitness and workload management. Archer is expected to arrive in New Zealand on Saturday, along with fellow Ashes teammates Mark Wood and Josh Tongue. The players will begin target conditioning work as England’s pace squad prepares for the Perth Test in late November. Wood and Tongue will train individually, along with 27-year-old Gus Atkinson, leading up to the Ashes.
Archer’s absence from Mount Maunganui also means he will not return to the venue where his injury problems started in 2019, during a test match against New Zealand. In his fifth career test match for England, Archer faced a heavy workload, bowling 42 overs in an innings. Following this, the 30-year-old complained of elbow pain a month later.
Notably, during the exact match, Archer also faced racial abuse by a spectator in the stands, who was caught and later faced a two-year ban.
Caution over Criticism
So far, the England bowling squad is in the limelight as the team continues to take extra measures to ensure their overall fitness ahead of the tests. However, England has also faced criticism for scheduling only one warm-up fixture before facing their oldest rivals on November 21. The team is set to play a practice game against the England Lions in Perth, a week before the opening test, with a detailed focus on the team’s preparation. To ensure monitored readiness, the fast bowlers, along with Captain Ben Stokes, will also join the England Lions Camp a week earlier than the rest of the team, on November 2.
“We’ve worked so hard to get to this point. It is the last little step. So we get this bit right,” managing director Rob Key stated in September, as the team hopes to keep all options available in the first test.