Is England preserving Jofra Archer for India Take a look at collection? Pacer lacking from one-off Zimbabwe Take a look at

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced the squad for the upcoming one-off Test between England and Zimbabwe. The match is scheduled to be played at Trent Bridge from May 22 to 28 and will serve as preparation for the Test tour of India.

Jordan Cox & Sam Cook earn call-ups

Keeping this in mind, the ECB has named a 13-man squad for the Zimbabwe Test. There was some doubt over Ben Stokes’ fitness, but it’s confirmed that he’ll lead England. Most of the players retain their places, but uncapped Jordan Cox and Sam Cook have been handed their maiden call-ups. Josh Tongue, who hasn’t played for England since July 2023, returns to the team given that Brydon Carse is currently out injured.

Jofra Archer bubble-wrapped for India Test?

However, one name that is missing is Jofra Archer. The pacer hasn’t played Test cricket since February 2021. And given that two other speedsters, Mark Wood and Olly Stone, are out injured as well.

Jofra is currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 for the Rajasthan Royals. Considering that Rajasthan are knocked out of the tournament and will play their last match on May 16 against the Punjab Kings, he would have about 5-6 days to return to Nottingham.

One mustn’t forget that Archer hasn’t played first-class cricket since May 2021. It’s been 4 overs. And he’s been on the road since February 2025. The ECB will want to manage his workload. Moreover, there have been talks regarding Archer playing a couple of Tests against India. The ECB will want him to rest for a while and then see if his body is ready for red-ball cricket.

England squad for Zimbabwe Test

Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue