England head coach Brendon McCullum has said Jofra Archer’s availability for the second Test against New Zealand is still to be determined, with the fast bowler currently on a short break after a long Indian Premier League campaign.
Archer did not feature in England’s squad for the first match of the home summer. He had been with Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026, where he claimed 25 wickets in 16 games and ended up third in the Purple Cap standings.
A planned period of rest
Once the tournament finished, Archer went back to Barbados for some downtime before rejoining the England set-up. The management has chosen to let him recover and work by himself on his fitness and bowling rhythm in the meantime.
McCullum told BBC Sport that England have trusted Archer to follow an agreed plan on his own before, and that he has returned having stuck to it closely. The coach said the team will see where he stands when he arrives and then judge whether he can play in the second Test. If he cannot, the third Test would be the next consideration.
A fresh-looking pace attack
With Archer absent, England have gone with a pace unit that looks relatively new. It includes Sussex captain Ollie Robinson, who is back in the side, and the uncapped quick Sonny Baker.
Last Test appearance
Archer’s most recent Test cricket came in the Ashes series in Australia, which England lost 4–1. He took nine wickets across three matches at an average of 27.11, and that haul included a five-wicket return in Adelaide.
A final call on his involvement is expected only after England’s medical and coaching staff have had a chance to look at him in person.
