“Desperate to get back in a Test shirt for England” – Ben Stokes on Jofra Archer

England’s Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed that Jofra Archer is desperate to get back in the Test format. Archer recently returned to action in the T20 World Cup 2024, where he picked 10 wickets in eight matches and played a key role in taking England to the semifinal stage.

The gun fast bowler last played a Test match back in February 2021 against India at Ahmedabad but then he was ruled out with an injury. 

Ben Stokes said as quoted by the Telegraph, “I know that Jofra is desperate to get back in a Test shirt for England. He’s very passionate about playing for England and he’s still got a lot of passion to play Test cricket. But he’s been through a very, very tough few years. Watching him to play in the World Cup was obviously great. But I’m very close with Jofra, and it was just great to see him back out on the field.”

“It’s about not getting too giddy with it. If we don’t have him for a year, let’s say, but it prolongs his career for another two or three years, that’s what we are looking to do. We’re not looking to rush Jof back,” he added.

With James Anderson retiring, Stokes revealed Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson will take the new ball for England in the second Test match against the West Indies at Trent Bridge.

“Gus and Woakesy will take the new ball. I first saw Gus live in the World Cup in India. He just had all the attributes of a very, very good bowler. A lot of it is to do with the Dukes ball, how it has behaved. There has not actually been that much movement in the air with the new ball. It’s generally been off the surface, hitting the seam and Gus is a very good exponent of that,” Stokes said in the same interaction.

The second Test match will begin on Sunday.