One of the key talking points during the IPL, particularly from an English perspective, was the extended spells spent in India by two Test regulars in Jofra Archer and Jacob Bethell. While Bethell was questioned over spending his time on the RCB bench instead of participating in the County Championship, Archer faced criticism over his extended participation given his history with injuries and workload concerns.
Right on the eve of England’s summer Test series against New Zealand, Archer was put on blast again – as was the England & Wales Cricket Board, who were criticised by Simon Doull for being careless with the handling of Archer in recent months.
“It’s ludicrous, absolutely ludicrous. How are you paying this guy up to a million pound a year and he’s not available for your first Test match? It’s absolutely ludicrous,” Doull lambasted the ECB on Sky Sports, following the confirmation that Archer would not participate in the opening Test of the series at Lord’s.
Archer directed to follow NZ example
As an example, Doull explained how New Zealand’s own fast bowlers in the past were still balancing Test match prep with their IPL load during the Kiwis’ last tour of England, at the onset of the Brendon McCullum regime for England.
“The last time New Zealand came here, we go back to that last Bazball series. Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Matt Henry were all practicing in between games in the IPL with the red ball and getting through over and overs and overs so they were ready to go when they arrived. I think they arrived 5 days before the first Test after the IPL on that previous tour,” explained Doull.
He admitted that NZ’s heavy loss on that series, a whitewash, did dent the pacers as they were taken down. However, he still viewed that as the route for Archer to take by keeping himself red-ball fit even as he helped take RR to the playoffs in the recently-concluded season.
“Ok, it didn’t work out, NZ lost the series 3-0 but there is no reason that Jofra Archer couldn’t have been bowling six or seven overs in between each day. The fact that he is not doing that tells me he has no interest in playing Test cricket,” Doull said of Archer, questioning whether the express quick even had the motivation to represent his country.
ECB’s lax nature
“And why are the ECB not then sending someone out there or having discussions with Kumar Sangakkara, with the team saying we need him to be doing this. We need him to be ready for Test match cricket,” continued Doull, referencing the Sri Lankan legend coaching RR.
“We have allowed him to come to you for this 8-week period, in between days, he needs to be bowling 5 overs, 6 overs, 7 overs with the red ball so he’s ready to go. And there’s enough time. If you are doing that in between games, there is enough time to come back here for a week and get ready for a Test match. There is no issue with that so I think it’s completely wrong,” concluded Doull.
Archer might return for the next two Tests of the series, at Trent Bridge and The Oval, but his absence at Lord’s could come to haunt England – and force some major questions of the think-tank.
