Jofra Archer not interested in Tests: Simon Doull has condemned the pacer's absence in England for the IPL

Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull has questioned Joffrey Archer’s commitment to Test cricket after the England pacer was left out of the squad for the opening Test against New Zealand while continuing his Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign with Rajasthan Royals.

Archer, who has struggled with injuries in recent years, was allowed to stay with Rajasthan Royals during the IPL playoffs instead of joining Brendon McCullum’s team ahead of the series. Reports suggested the 30-year-old could miss the first two Tests against New Zealand.

The decision drew criticism from England, previously former captain Michael Atherton expressing frustration at Archer’s unavailability. Doull joined the chorus of criticism, targeting both the players and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Doull described the situation as “absolutely ridiculous” and pointed out how the New Zealand players had previously balanced IPL commitments with preparations for Test cricket.

“It’s ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. How do you pay this guy up to £1million a year and he’s not available for your first Test match? It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Doull said.

“The last time New Zealand came here, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Matt Henry were training between games in the IPL with the red ball and going through skips and overs and overs to be ready to go when they arrived.

“I think they arrived five days before the first Test after the IPL. There’s no reason why Archer can’t play six, seven overs between days. The fact that he’s not doing that tells me he’s not interested in playing Test cricket.”

Doull said Archer could use the gap between IPL matches to increase his workload and be ready for the start of the series.

“In between days he needs to bowl five, six, seven with the red ball to be ready to go. And there’s plenty of time for that. If you’re doing it between matches, there’s plenty of time to come back here for a week and prepare for a Test match. There’s no problem with that. So I think it’s completely wrong,” he added.

Archer’s absence added to concerns about England’s pace-bowling resources ahead of the series. Selectors have recalled seamer Ollie Robinson to the Test squad for the first time in more than two years.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain welcomed Robinson’s return but said the fast bowler still had work to do to regain the trust of the team management.

“I like that he’s involved – Ollie Robinson is a skilled bowler,” Hussain said.

“He let (McCullum) down and that’s the thing you have to prove to people.

England opened their Test series against New Zealand with questions lingering over Archer’s availability and leadership as one of the country’s premier fast bowlers.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

03 Jun 2026 16:16 IST