Jofra Archer has extended his central contract with England captain Ben Stokes, saying the paceman wants to play Test cricket.
Archer’s previous deal expired before England’s Ashes tour next winter, but his new deal keeps him in place until September 2026.
Persistent back and elbow injuries have kept the 29-year-old out of the Test fold since 2021, but he has slowly made his way back into the white-ball game and has been playing regularly since May.
“The excitement around Jofra is understandable,” Stokes said.
“The best thing is that he’s back playing. I’m sure he thought he might not get an England shirt again. the injuries and surgeries he went through could have ended other people’s careers, so there is; no rush back.
“He’s been treated very well by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) and that will certainly continue.
“There’s no doubt he’s going so well at the moment, it’s a case of getting the body in shape to handle the added pressure of Test match cricket.”
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Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain and Ian Smith were all impressed with Jacob Bethell’s composure on his England Test debut against New Zealand despite being 21 years old.
England will play a series against India next summer, as well as a one-off Test against Zimbabwe in May.
Archer will not be able to play in the latter after being picked up by Rajasthan Royals in the last IPL auction, but the thought seems to have crossed his mind.
“Geoff is a man of few words, even on WhatsApp. I had someone say ‘Zimabwbe’ a few months ago. That shows he is very interested in playing Test cricket for England,” Stokes added.
Bethell, Carse and Potts are seeing deals increase
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Sky Sports Cricket’s Michael Atherton was impressed with how Jacob Bethell handled himself on England’s Test debut against New Zealand.
Meanwhile, trial rookie Jacob Bethel has signed a two-year center deal.
Bethel made an unscheduled Test debut in last week’s win over New Zealand in Christchurch, which only came into play after Jordan Cox practically broke his thumb, and ended the match with a blistering, unbeaten 50.
Less than six weeks after announcing a new package of player deals, the ECB has upgraded Bethell from a low-key development contract to a more lucrative retainer, which runs until October 2026.
Braydon Carsey, who took 10 wickets in the first Test against New Zealand last week, and Matthew Potts also had their terms extended from one year to two.
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