Jofra Archer, the England fast bowler, is set to miss the first ODI of the three-match series against New Zealand later this week with an eye on managing his preparations for the upcoming Ashes series versus Australia next month. The first ODI is set to begin at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, October 26, just hours before he is expected to arrive in New Zealand along with his teammates Josh Tongue and Mark Wood.
Notably, as per the report from BBC Sport, while Tongue and Wood are not a part of the England ODI squad for the New Zealand series unlike Archer, they will make the trip to continue their Ashes preparations with their teammates and coaching staff. It is important to remember that Jofra Archer is in the T20I plans of England with the World
Cup set to happen early next year after the Ashes, but they didn’t pick him in the ongoing series against New Zealand due to workload management.
Jofra Archer will be available for second ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton
The Barbados-born pacer will be available for selection to the England team management for the second ODI of the series in Hamilton on October 29, followed by the third ODI in Wellington on November 1. At the same time, Joe Root, Ben Duckett, and Jamie Smith, who aren’t a part of the T20I squad in New Zealand either, have just arrived for the ODI series starting this weekend.
Ben Stokes, the Test captain of England, who isn’t a part of either the T20I or ODI squads in New Zealand, will be visiting the country to meet his family in Christchurch, where he was born. After the completion of the tour to New Zealand, the members of England’s Ashes squad will assemble in Perth, where the first Test of the five-match series will be played at the Optus Stadium, starting November 21.
