Icc Test Championship

Former England paceman Angus Fraser described Warne as "a magician" of a bowler, a leg-spinner who was "in complete control" of his art.

Speaking to Stats Perform, in the wake of Warne's death at the age of 52 on Friday, Fraser said the man who was so often the scourge of England did "untold good" for the sport.

Warne took 708 Test match wickets, a total beaten only by Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, and his effervescence and skill level made him a player who transcended cricket.

"He did bring Hollywood to cricket, didn't he?," Fraser said.

"Sat next to Shane Warne, he always had a ball in his hand. He was just going through his ball, the different balls. So like the leg-spinner, the googly, the flipper.

"The control he had over a cricket ball, you just sat there thinking, this guy's a magician. I mean, he's just throwing the thing up, and it just lands straight in his hand while he's talking to you, and he was just in complete control of what he was doing, so the skill level of the man was just beyond belief, really.

"Every ball was an event, that was the thing as well. It was theatre. You stood there at the end of his run-up and then boom. You watched when he had the ball in his hand because you just thought anything is possible, anything could happen.

"Not just a great cricketer, one of the greatest cricketers in the world, he's one of the great sportsmen in the world. He's up there with Michael Jordan and people like that.

"That's the sort of level where he's at, so that's the impact he had on the game. The way he's gone about it, yes, he's made mistakes and, yes, sometimes he's been in the headlines for the wrong reasons. But he's just done untold good for the game of cricket."

Warne's death was a jolt to the global cricket community. The man who became a popular pundit after his playing career ended passed away while on holiday in Thailand, of a suspected heart attack.

Fraser was left stunned, saying: "These things don't happen to Shane Warne, do they? I mean, yes, we know he's got a lifestyle and an existence that is just unimaginable, dashing around the world, but it doesn't happen to Shane.

"I mean, he's sort of bulletproof, he's a force of nature. He's just a character that you can kick and knock down, but he always gets back up and comes back, and is there as bold as brass and as confident and as full of energy in life as he's ever been."

Warne's career was full of highs and some notable lows, including being stripped of the Australia vice-captaincy after a phone sex scandal, and being banned for failing a drugs test, having taken a banned diuretic. He became engaged to actress and model Liz Hurley, and although they later split, Warne's life was for many years spent in the glare of the media spotlight.

Fraser said: "Whether you've played against him or whether you've just followed him as a cricket supporter, his life has been led out there in the open, so I think it's inevitable that everybody feels it because you've seen him make his mistakes, you've seen these wonderful moments, you just know so much about the man. It's hard to believe that there's that much hidden, because it's just all been out there in the newspapers or on the televisions in front of us."

Apex Group, a global provider of financial, sustainability and environmental services, will feature prominently on the global television broadcast, as well as prime pitch and wicket branding placements, and the Apex logo will also appear on the breast of the West Indies Test kit for the duration of the Apex Test Series. Apex will be granted access to the West Indies team for marketing activation and content and will deliver several sustainability initiatives involving the participation of West Indies players.

CWI’s and Apex Sustainability Partnership commenced in October 2021, ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with the Apex brand appearing on the West Indies’ ICC T20 World Cup shirt. Apex is providing sustainability and environmental advisory services over a three-year period as CWI’s Exclusive Sustainability Partner. By providing CWI with annual carbon footprint assessments, Apex will help lead the way in driving sustainability in cricket across the region by supporting CWI in creating an action plan to reduce and offset climate-altering outputs, including international travel.

The Apex Test Series will be played for the newly-minted Richards-Botham Trophy, named in honour of legends Sir Vivian Richards and Lord Ian Botham. The Apex Test Series opens appropriately at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua from March 8-12, followed by the second Apex Test at Kensington Oval, Barbados from March 16-20. The third and final contest will be at the idyllic Grenada National Stadium from March 24-28. All three Apex Test matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship with both West Indies and England vying for points to challenge for qualification for the World Test Championship final in 2023.

“We’re delighted to build on our growing relationship with Apex for the upcoming Apex Test Series, which continues to be the most anticipated and highest-profile international sports event in the Caribbean,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.

“With the West Indies versus England Test rivalry dating back nearly one hundred years, this deeper partnership with Apex enables CWI to make cricket more sustainable as we move towards a second century of West Indies cricket and build the next generation of cricketers across the Caribbean.”

Meanwhile, Peter Hughes, Founder and CEO of Apex Group said this is an important partnership for his company.

“Following a challenging two years for sport, we are pleased to be a part of the return of International Test Cricket hosted in the West Indies,” he said.

“This is an important partnership for us, as we look forward to further leveraging the combined global platform Apex Group and the West Indies represent, to raise awareness for driving greater environmental sustainability in the sport; for fans, players and future generations.”

England face West Indies in the third and final Test at Old Trafford on Friday needing to win to regain the Wisden Trophy.

As for the second match, Root has altered his attack, although Mark Wood again misses out.

Archer - unable to play last time out after breaching biosecurity protocols - and Anderson are back, meaning Sam Curran makes way.

But with Stokes managing an injury, number three Zak Crawley has also dropped out to get the extra bowler in, seeing the rest of the order shift up.

That batting order was swiftly tested after Windies captain Jason Holder won the toss and, as in the previous match, opted to bowl first.

"We've balanced the side out as best we can and I actually feel like we've got a very good, well balanced team. I'm not worried about that at all," Root said, before quickly finding himself in the middle when Kemar Roach dismissed Dom Sibley lbw for a duck in the first over.

Of Archer's return, the captain added: "Jofra's ready to play. Over the last couple of days, he's got his smile back and bowled with real pace in the nets.

"He knows he's got the full support of the dressing room and the guys around him. We're really looking forward to him getting back out there and showing everyone how talented he is."

On the possibilty of Stokes bowling, Root said: "We'll have to see how things go. We can monitor that as the game progresses. But we have to make sure we look after him as best as possible."

Stokes - now the ICC's top-ranked all-rounder - revealed he had "been better" and was still unsure of the nature of the injury.

He said: "It's going to be a day by day thing. I was a little bit worried I wouldn't be able to offer everything I could with the ball, especially in the first innings."

The Windies have also made a change, meanwhile, bringing in spinner Rahkeem Cornwall for Alzarri Joseph in a match they need only to draw to retain the trophy.

Rain is forecast on four days in Manchester.

England fast bowler Archer has been unable to recover from an elbow complaint and must now be assessed with regards to his availability for the remainder of the four-match rubber.

The 24-year-old's absence compounds a relentless tale of woe for Joe Root's squad, which has been ravaged by illness for the majority of their tour so far.

One of the victims of the sickness bug, Ollie Pope, is back in after sitting out the opening defeat at Centurion, but England's top scorer in that game, Rory Burns, is out for the rest of the series due to an ankle injury sustained while playing football in training on Thursday.

It means a second Test cap and first as an opener for Kent youngster Zak Crawley, who will face up to the new ball on the first morning after Root won the toss and elected to bat.

Pieter Malan is a debutant at the top of the Proteas order, as expected, with Aiden Markram out for the remaining Tests due to a broken finger.

The England pace bowler, who claimed figures of 3-106 in the first Test against the West Indies, was dropped for the second Test after it emerged he broke rules aimed at reducing the risk of coronavirus infection.

Archer said he was "extremely sorry" for putting "the whole team and management in danger" through an unsanctioned visit to his home in Hove on Monday.

The 25-year-old is expected to rejoin the squad on Tuesday, July 21, after the second Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford is concluded.

In a statement, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said: "Following a disciplinary hearing held on Friday, July 17, England cricketer Jofra Archer has been fined an undisclosed amount and received an official written warning after admitting to breaching the team's bio-secure protocols on Monday July 13 when he made an unauthorised visit to his home in Hove.

"Archer was withdrawn from England's second Test squad against West Indies at Emirates Old Trafford and is commencing five days of isolation at the venue. He will undergo two COVID-19 tests in this period, which have to test negative before his self-isolation period is lifted. He is due to rejoin the rest of the squad on Tuesday July 21.

"The hearing was chaired by Ashley Giles, Managing Director, England Men's Cricket and included Archer's agent and a representative from the Professional Cricketers' Association."

The West Indies won the first of the three-match series in Southampton by four wickets.

Archer missed the second Test as he was forced to self-isolate after breaching biosecurity protocols drawn up for the first international series since the coronavirus pandemic ground cricket to a halt.

England went on to level the series with a 113-run win at Old Trafford despite Archer's absence and losing a day of play to rain.

The fast bowler will be available for selection for the decider at the same venue, though, and fellow seamers Anderson and Wood are also back in the frame having been rested for the second Test.

Captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood face a selection dilemma with the return of the trio after Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes staked their claims for inclusion with instrumental bowling performances to help square the series, taking 11 wickets between them.

Uncapped seamer Ollie Robinson drops out of the 14-man squad.

England squad: Joe Root (captain), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Archer was pushing for a return in Johannesburg, but the paceman was troubled by his right elbow in the warm-up after the start was delayed due to rain on Friday.

The quick missed the tourists' victories at Newlands and St George's Park due to an elbow injury and will play no part as Joe Root's side, leading 2-1, attempt to complete a series win.

England have gone with an all-seam attack, Woakes making his first appearance of the series, Mark Wood retaining his place and spinner Bess missing out despite claiming a maiden five-wicket Test haul in Port Elizabeth.

Fast bowler Hendricks gets the nod to make his Test bow in the absence of the banned Kagiso Rabada, while batsman Temba Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorius replaces Zubayr Hamza and Keshav Maharaj respectively.

Root won the toss and elected to bat in Vernon Philander's final Test, with play due to start at 1.20pm local time. 

South Africa: Malan, Elgar, van der Dussen, du Plessis (captain), de Kock (wk) Bavuma, Pretorius, Philander, Nortje, Paterson, Hendricks.

England: Crawley, Sibley, Denly, Root (captain), Stokes, Pope, Buttler (wk), Curran, Woakes, Wood, Broad.

Fast bowler Archer has taken 46 wickets across three seasons in the IPL, the first two of which took place in India. 

During the 2020 edition, which was moved to the United Arab Emirates due to the coronavirus pandemic, he claimed 20 at an average of 18.25. 

Despite showing he can thrive in conditions that are traditionally unforgiving for pacemen, Archer insists moving from Twenty20 cricket to the longest format presents an entirely different challenge for his considerable skills. 

"It's a different ball. I've never played red ball over here," he said. 

"White ball is a whole different dynamic, so you can't really compare the two."

Archer is back in the England fold after being rested for the 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka. 

Spinners Dom Bess and Jack Leach lead the way with 12 and 10 wickets respectively for the tourists and Archer is not averse to putting in the hard yards in India if it means the slower bowlers getting the glory. 

"It doesn't really matter - whatever's for the team, whatever's going to contribute to the win," he said. "If it means me and the other seamers have got to do the hard work then so be it. 

"We've already had a bowling meeting. We'll probably have one more before the game when we see the wicket we're going to have. 

"Then we'll come up with a plan and stick to it wholeheartedly. 

"Everyone [in the India line-up] is good at home, it doesn’t matter who. From one to six they can score hundreds."

Friday's first Test in Chennai will be captain Joe Root's 100th for England.

Back-to-back centuries in Sri Lanka means Root approaches the landmark in imperious form and Archer believes his skipper still has plenty left in the tank.

"He's really reassuring. Not just for me but for every single person in the team," he said.

"He's a great man manager, a great person as well.

"I'm not surprised that he's played 100 Tests. He's probably got another 70 left in him.

"This is definitely not the end, not near the end."

The pace bowler claimed match figures of 3-106 in the series opener last week in Southampton, a game the tourists won by four wickets to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

England will aim to draw level in Manchester but Archer will not be in their XI as he isolates for five days.

The 25-year-old will also undergo two COVID-19 tests during that period, with both results needing to be negative before his self-isolation is lifted.

With both teams staying at Old Trafford as part of the measures put in place for the series due to the coronavirus pandemic, West Indies have been informed of the situation and are satisfied with the measures imposed.

"I am extremely sorry for what I have done," Archer said in a statement released by England ahead of Thursday's opening day of play.

"I have put, not only myself, but the whole team and management in danger. I fully accept the consequences of my actions, and I want to sincerely apologise to everyone in the bio-secure bubble.

"It deeply pains me to be missing the Test match, especially with the series poised. I feel like I have let both teams down, and again I am sorry."

England announced on Wednesday that James Anderson and Mark Wood will be rested for the second Test, meaning the former misses out on playing at his home ground.

With Archer also now out, Stuart Broad appears certain to be recalled. The home side drafted in left-armer Sam Curran and uncapped Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson to a 13-man squad which also included Chris Woakes.

Joe Root returns to captain the team after missing the opening Test due to the birth of his second child.

An elbow injury kept Archer out of victories at Newlands and St George's Park that have given the tourists a 2-1 lead with one match to play at the Wanderers.

The quick could come back into the side in Johannesburg on Friday after catching the eye in practice, while England are monitoring Mark Wood after he played his first Test for 11 months in Port Elizabeth.

England assistant coach Graham Thorpe told talkSPORT: "Jofra had good rhythm and bowled nice and quick today.

"That's where we want Jof to be. He looks good, but he will have to come in again tomorrow and back it up.

"The elbow problem has been a big issue for him. You can't force that, you have to wait for the player to be confident with it.

"Mark Wood hasn't played back-to-back Test matches for a while, but he bowled exceptionally well for us in Port Elizabeth. He bowled at high speeds of 90mph plus and gave us an X-factor. We'll have to see how he is and I'm sure Woody will be really honest with us.

"Historically, it's a pitch which has good carry and pace and generally starts softer then quickens up. It has that carry which bowlers, batters and spinners alike enjoy.

"It would be tough if [spinner Dom] Bess didn't play this Test. He has done himself no harm, though, in the way he has come into the set-up and the way he's bowled.

"He's progressed from the last time I saw him about six months ago and when you perform it gives you confidence. So we won't rush straight into a decision, it'll be nice to have all those options on the table."

Archer was forced to sit out England's series-tying victory over West Indies in the second Test at Old Trafford after breaking COVID-19 protocols.

The fast bowler made an unauthorised trip to his Brighton home en route from Southampton – where the Windies took a 1-0 lead in the series – to Manchester last week.

After accepting a fine, understood to be in the region of his £15,000 match fee, and a written warning, Archer is available to take part in the series decider that begins on Friday.

In a column for the Daily Mail, the 25-year-old said he had endured an "extremely tough" week in relation to the fallout from actions that forced him to spend five days in isolation in a hotel room – a situation compounded by sickening online abuse.

"Some of the abuse I have taken over the past few days on Instagram has been racist and I have decided that enough is enough," Archer said.

"Since Wilfried Zaha, the Crystal Palace footballer, was abused by a 12-year-old online I drew a line and I will not allow anything to pass, so I have forwarded on my complaints to the ECB and that will go through the correct process."

A statement released by the ECB on Wednesday read: “The racist message was brought to our attention by Jofra Archer last week.

"We are supporting him and we have reported the message through the appropriate channels and authorities."

Archer thanked England captain Joe Root and vice-captain Ben Stokes for supporting him following his indiscretion but conceded he was unsure whether he would be mentally ready to compete in the third Test.

"I found I was struggling for motivation in the circumstances when it came to returning to bowling in the nets," he said.

"I spoke briefly to the doctor about how I'm feeling and also to Ben Stokes on Monday night.

"Ben tried to advise me on how to deal with being in the spotlight of international sport. He vowed to back me and support me.

"Now, I need to be 100 per cent mentally right so that I can throw myself into my cricket this week.

"There is a series to win, and after the win in the second match it's there for the taking. We have got amazing depth in the squad, especially now no one is injured, so many options and therefore to do justice to myself and the rest of my team-mates I have to be ready when called upon.

"I give 100 per cent every time I go out there and I don't want to go out on the field unless I can guarantee doing that."

Archer has taken 33 wickets at an average of 28.12 in eight Tests, including three five-wicket hauls. Since making his international debut last year, he has claimed 58 wickets in all formats.

Last November, he was racially abused by a spectator when England played New Zealand in Mount Maunganui. A 28-year-old man who admitted to the offence was banned from attending international and domestic cricket matches in New Zealand for two years.

Throughout the three-Test series, which is being played behind closed doors, England and West Indies players are wearing the "Black Lives Matter" logo on their kits.

Having spent almost two years on the sidelines with elbow and back problems, Archer returned to international cricket in January for England's ODI series against South Africa.

Archer had bowling figures of 6-40 – the third-best for England in an ODI – in the last match of that series, while he has since stepped up his involvement with ODI and T20I appearances in England's ongoing tour of Bangladesh.  

The 27-year-old is desperate to be involved when England bid to regain the Ashes from Australia in June and July, though he says anything more than one outing would be a bonus.

"If I can play one game this summer, I'll be happy," Archer told reporters. "If I play more than one, that's just a bonus.

"Coming back and playing cricket for England again means I have already done what I wanted to do.

"I said 18 months ago I was going to be back. Now I'm back. Hopefully I have a long career, so it makes no sense doing too much too soon.

"We have got so much cricket to play – genuinely, playing for England you never stop. You're going 11 months a year, pretty much... There's a lot of cricket and I want to play a lot of cricket."

Archer made his Test debut during England's last home Ashes series, in which Australia retained the urn following a 2-2 draw, and he is planning to draw on that experience next time out.

"I've played in the Ashes already, so you know most of the things that come with it," Archer said. "The pressures, the media, the situations are not going to be anything unknown. 

"The only thing unknown at the moment now would be fitness and if you can actually get through a whole Test match.

"I don't have much expectation except to finish the game. That is the biggest part, to get through 20 [overs] in an innings, maybe 40 or 50 in a game. Obviously I want wickets, but getting overs in is more important."

Pace bowler Archer underwent surgery last week and, as per a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board released on Wednesday, is to undergo an intensive rehabilitation period before being assessed again in around a month.

The 26-year-old's absence is a blow to England ahead of a busy home schedule in all formats, with New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India all visiting for tours in the upcoming months.

However, Archer will only make his comeback once completely healthy, a decision made with his long-term future in mind as he prepares to be patient.

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in October and November this year, with England then travelling Down Under the following month for the five-Test Ashes series.

"One thing I am determined about post-elbow operation is not to rush my comeback because my primary focus is to be playing for England in the T20 World Cup and Ashes later this year," Archer wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.

"Those are my targets. If I come back before then and manage to play in the home Test series against India – then fine, so be it. If I don't, I am quite prepared to sit out the summer.

"The way I am looking at things is that I would rather miss a few weeks of a year so that I have a few more years in my career.

"I just want to get this injury sorted once and for all and that's why I'm not looking that far ahead or at dates for a return to action — because if I don't get this right, I won't play any cricket. Period.

"I am not going to do myself any good by coming back before I'm fully fit, so I will take my time and do what is best for me and my life."

Archer, who had an operation on a hand injury earlier this year, attempted to make a return to action in domestic cricket for Sussex recently, only to suffer a further setback with his elbow during the County Championship fixture at Hove.

He has taken 42 wickets at an average of 31.04 in 13 Test appearances for Joe Root's side, while he is a key member of England's white-ball squads under captain Eoin Morgan.

England have Tests against New Zealand at Lord's and Edgbaston in June, with a five-match series in the long format against India beginning at Trent Bridge on August 4.

Several players who appeared in the Indian Premier League will not be involved against the Black Caps, while wicketkeeper Ben Foakes joined Archer and Ben Stokes on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury when slipping in the Surrey dressing room on Sunday.

There were questions raised about Archer's pace in the first Test against Pakistan, when he struggled to muster the ferocity that typified his entry into the international arena. 

England are expected to keep faith with Archer for the second match in the series, which begins at Southampton's Rose Bowl on Thursday. 

Captain Joe Root has been supportive, predicting England "will continue to see very special things" from Archer as long as he continues to learn from the ups and downs in his career. 

Archer would love to be bowling consistently at an intimidating speed, but he is more concerned with his overall development. 

"I cannot get away from the fact there is always attention towards the pace I am producing," Archer said in his Daily Mail column. 

"From my perspective, I know I can bowl one or two 90mph deliveries a spell even when not everything is clicking, but to do it every ball, everything has to be working perfectly in unison and you have to be in that perfect, competitive mind frame. 

"Not everything comes together all the time. People look back at my debut performance in the Ashes Test at Lord's last year and expect that kind of display everywhere, but it is unrealistic."

Archer appealed for "more appreciation" of the challenges of fast bowling, and England would not want to push him to strain his body if it meant the Sussex paceman taking any physical risks. 

The Barbados-born quick has 38 wickets in 10 Tests since making his debut against Australia in last year's Ashes, and with James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the twilight of their careers, England are hoping Archer proves an enduring and potent presence in their attack. 

"People will judge you how they want and there are a lot of opinions out there. But I am a 25-year-old fast bowler trying to develop my game and the opinions that matter most to me are the ones of my team-mates," Archer said. 

"As long as Joe Root and my England team-mates are fine, I really don't care what other people are thinking." 

He added that "as long as the people in and around this circle are understanding - and it 100 per cent seems like they are - I am very happy and in a good head space". 

England fast bowler Archer has not played any cricket since July 2021 after being sidelined by a stress fracture of his back.

The paceman has not seen action for his country for 19 months, having also been out due to a long-standing elbow problem.

Archer is now eyeing a return and will step up his recovery in a camp in the UAE from November 11 to 27.

Fellow quicks Saqib Mahmood and Brydon Carse will also continue their rehabilitation from injuries in the UAE.

Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence and Matthew Fisher are among the 15 players who will be in the Lions training group.

England will face the Lions in a three-day practice match, starting on November 23, ahead of a three-match Test series in Pakistan that starts at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on December 1.

The pace bowler underwent surgery on his right hand towards the end of March having suffered damage to a finger while cleaning a fish tank.

Archer had also been bothered by a persistent elbow issue during the tour of India earlier in 2021, forcing him to miss the three-match one-day series against Virat Kohli's side.

The 26-year-old is set to resume full training with English county Sussex with the intention of making a playing comeback within the next two weeks.

"Archer returned to bowling this week with higher intensity, and the ECB and Sussex medical teams will continue to monitor his progress,” a statement from the ECB read.

"Archer will now step up his training regime starting next week and will be in full training with Sussex. It is expected that he will return to cricket in the next fortnight if he can continue to bowl and prepare pain-free.

"The ECB will confirm which matches he is expected to play in due course."

The absence of Archer is a huge blow for Rajasthan Royals, particularly as the IPL franchise have already lost England all-rounder Ben Stokes for the entire tournament due to a broken finger.

Archer claimed 20 wickets at an average of 18.25 in the Twenty20 competition for the Royals last year, posting an impressive economy rate of 6.55 runs per over.

Rajasthan have won just once in their opening four outings in the current campaign as they bid to qualify for the play-offs for the first time since 2018.

Archer was ruled out of the recent ODI series defeat to India with an elbow injury and underwent an operation on his hand on Monday, repairing damage done when he was cleaning a fish tank in January.

The quick will miss the start of the Rajasthan Royals' Indian Premier League campaign as he recovers from the procedure.

"England pace bowler Jofra Archer underwent successful surgery to his right hand on Monday. A fragment of glass was removed during the operation to his middle finger on his right hand." an ECB statement said.
 
"He will now commence two weeks of rehabilitation. The consultant will review him before returning to training.

"Further update on his elbow injury will be provided once he has returned to bowling to assess the effectiveness of his recent injection.
 
"Archer suffered a cut to his hand while cleaning at his home in January shortly before flying to India to prepare for the Test series.

"The ECB's medical team managed the injury throughout the tour, and it did not impact on his availability."

The Royals start their IPL campaign against Punjab Kings on Monday April 12.

Archer is set to represent Mumbai Indians in the IPL, which culminates on May 28, with the first Test between England and Australia taking place at Edgbaston on June 16.

England have a Test scheduled against Ireland on June 1, but should Mumbai go far in the IPL, it is unlikely Archer would be available.

The pace bowler, who turns 28 on Saturday, has not played a Test match for England since a 10-wicket defeat to India in Ahmedabad in February 2021, with his last first-class game for Sussex being in May 2021 against Kent.

Elbow and back injuries kept him on the sidelines for 17 months, but he returned to white-ball cricket in January.

Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace believes England's plan is for Archer to be ready for the Ashes after the end of the IPL.

"I think all things being equal, he will go straight into the Ashes off the back of the IPL," Farbrace told BBC Radio Sussex.

"The England plan for Jofra is he'll go and play in the IPL.

"I think their plan is that between IPL games he'll then bowl some longer spells to get his overs up and make sure that he is match-ready.

"That's the nature of international franchise cricket these days. I know there'll be a lot of people saying 'he should play at least two four-day games to be ready for a Test match', but the preparation and the work that the medical teams do around these players is exceptional."

Archer dampened expectations of significant involvement against Australia in early March, telling reporters: "If I can play one [Test] this summer, I'll be happy. If I play more than one, that's just a bonus."

Fielding coach Paul Collingwood revealed the trio were all in contention to replace the injured James Anderson in Port Elizabeth.

With the series tied at 1-1, the tourists will hope to build on their impressive 189-run victory in the second Test, with Archer, Wood and Woakes eyeing a spot in the line-up.

"They've an opportunity over the next two training sessions to prove to us they should be the one in the team," said Collingwood.

"It's actually really nice to be able to come into a Test being able to choose from players who are 100 per cent ready to go.

"Here at PE [Port Elizabeth] it's generally a slower pitch, so sometimes having that kind of X-factor can be great.

"Sunday's training session was one of the best we've had for a long time.

"We saw bowlers really running in against the batters. They were really making it difficult for them. If we can do that more often, then our education as a team will grow very strongly and very quickly."

Responding to suggestions that Archer had lost his way after bursting onto the scene with England last year, Collingwood jumped to the 24-year-old's defence.

"He's very early on in his international career," he said. "He hasn't bowled a lot with the Kookaburra ball, which requires a completely different skillset from the Dukes. 

"His main skill is bowling 90 miles per hour plus. We have enough bowlers in and around the county circuit who can bowl at 82 to 85 miles per hour and try to nip it around. 

"You want the likes of Wood and Archer to give you that X-factor.”

The third Test begins on Thursday.

The South African will continue in his role as Derbyshire head of cricket and work with Pakistan outside the county season.

Arthur wil be part of the Pakistan coaching staff for the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India, a tour of Australia, a home series against West Indies and the Asia Cup contests with India.

During his tenure as Pakistan head coach from 2016 to 2019, the 54-year-old mastermind an ICC Champions Trophy success six years ago, while he also took the Test and T20I sides to the top of the rankings.

The former Australia and South Africa coach said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be rejoining the Pakistan cricket team and look forward to working with the group.

"Since moving on, I have kept a track of the players and their collective performances.

"This is a talented bunch with the potential to be number one across all formats and my endeavour is to put in place strategies and create an environment that can contribute in further enhancing their performances so that we can extract the best out of them."

The Pakistan Cricket Board had revealed in January that they held talks with Arthur with a view to making him Saqlain Mushtaq's successor as head coach, but could not reach an agreement.