England will continue to take a cautious approach to managing Jofra Archer's workload throughout the upcoming five ODIs against Australia, following his limited involvement in the rain-affected T20I series, where he bowled only 3.3 overs.
Archer has been gradually reintroduced to international cricket this year, having played two T20Is against Pakistan in May before taking part in all eight of England's matches during June's T20 World Cup. He did not feature for Sussex in the latter half of the Blast group stages and was carefully managed during the Hundred, where Southern Brave’s captain, James Vince, expressed frustration over Archer being rested twice.
Since the Hundred concluded, Archer has played just two matches: a quarter-final for Sussex in the T20 Blast and England’s defeat at the Utilita Bowl on Wednesday. He was rested for Friday’s match in Cardiff and would have featured in Sunday’s final T20I, had it not been washed out by rain in Manchester.
Despite the long layoff due to back and elbow injuries, Archer has demonstrated why England have placed such high hopes on his return. He was England’s joint-highest wicket-taker at the World Cup in June, and in Wednesday’s T20I, he reminded everyone of his death-bowling prowess, dismissing Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett with consecutive deliveries.
Archer is included in England’s 15-man squad for the five-match ODI series beginning on Thursday in Nottingham, although he may be rested for one or two games. Having not played a 50-over match in the last 18 months, Archer’s focus is on returning to form in white-ball cricket, though he has long-term aspirations to play red-ball cricket again, despite not featuring in a first-class match since May 2021.
Jos Buttler mentioned that Archer’s workload will need to be managed throughout the ODI series. He highlighted that while Archer has bowled well in recent T20 matches, where only four overs are required, the jump to bowling in ODIs would be more intense. Buttler expressed hope that increasing Archer's workload could eventually lead to his return to Test cricket.
Interim coach Marcus Trescothick echoed this sentiment, stating that Archer is fully aware and comfortable with the ECB’s long-term plan to manage his workload. Trescothick explained that these discussions take place well in advance of team selection and involve input from coaches, directors, and medical staff. He assured that the same careful management would apply throughout the ODI series.
Both Buttler and Trescothick stated that Archer’s progress is part of a broader strategy, aimed at ensuring he stays fit for both short-term and long-term goals, including a potential return to the Test arena.