Jofra Archer

Archer, one of the heroes of England's Cricket World Cup triumph last July, made an unauthorised trip home between the first and second Tests to see an unnamed person, breaking the protocols put in place for the games at bio-secure arenas.

England announced Archer would need to self-isolate for five days and could therefore not take his place in the XI when the second Test began at Old Trafford on Thursday.

The team's managing director Ashley Giles claimed "it could have been a disaster" that cost the England and Wales Cricket Board "tens of millions of pounds" as international cricket adjusts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet Stokes - himself no stranger to attracting headlines away from the field following a fight in Bristol in 2017 - stressed Archer will not be hung out to dry by the squad.

"I think from us as players and as England Cricket group, this is a time where our way of operating really needs to come through," said Stokes, who was later cleared of affray following the incident in Bristol.

"We really need to be there to support Jofra right now because obviously he's a big talking point.

"Obviously he is by himself because of everything else going on at the moment but it's making sure he doesn't feel like he's by himself. The worst thing we can do right now as a team is to just sort of leave him and see him in five or six days' time and then say, 'Alright'.

"Times like these for people are very, very tough and you can feel like you are all by yourself but I don't think anybody is going to allow that to happen.

"Jofra is a massive part of this group, as everybody is. If it was anybody else bar Jofra it would be the exact same way of handling it that we would do as a team.

"It's all good being there for people when things are going well but what really comes through is how you operate with someone when they need you the most."

Stokes was once again instrumental on the second day at Old Trafford, scoring 176 - his 10th Test century - as England made 469-9 declared before having West Indies 32-1 in the 14 overs before stumps.

The all-rounder made 260 alongside opener Dom Sibley, whose patient 120 might have silenced some critics following his struggles in Southampton, where he was out for a duck but went on to make a second-innings half-century.

"It's great signs for us going forward that all the noise around him after Southampton literally hasn't affected him whatsoever," Stokes added.

"It's a great way to respond to any criticism that there was by going out and banging 100."

Chris Silverwood's options have been limited for the two-match home series against New Zealand next month.

Superstar all-rounder Ben Stokes (finger) and fast bowler Jofra Archer (elbow) are both injured, while Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes are all rested after completing a quarantine period following their return home from the postponed Indian Premier League.

It means wicketkeeper-batsman Bracey and seamer Robinson both get the call, rewarded for impressive performances in the early stages of the County Championship season.

Bracey averages 37.30 across his first-class career, but is at an impressive 53 – courtesy of 478 runs – for Gloucestershire so far this season. Robinson, meanwhile, has claimed 29 wickets at just 14 apiece for Sussex.

Both men have already toured with England as reserves in Sri Lanka and India, while they were included in extended groups for the Tests last year against West Indies and Pakistan.

Somerset all-rounder Overton, who has four caps, is set to return to the fold for the first time since the 2019 Ashes.

Head coach Silverwood said: "The summer of Test cricket will be fascinating.

"Playing the top two teams in the world, in New Zealand and India, is perfect preparation for us as we continue to improve and progress towards an Ashes series in Australia at the back end of the year. 

"With several players not available through injury or being rested for the New Zealand series, it is an opportunity for us to reward those who have been on the fringes of England squads over the past 12 months."

Silverwood also provided an update on Stokes, adding: "Ben Stokes is making excellent progress following his fractured left index finger sustained last month in the Indian Premier League.

"If he continues to improve without any impact on his rehabilitation, we could see him return next month for Durham in the Vitality Blast competition.

"We will assess him again towards the end of this month."

Archer had been ruled out on Sunday after a persistent elbow injury flared up again on his return to action for Sussex.

"We need to get this resolved once and for all to give him the best chance of being fully fit as we build up to an intense winter, which will include a T20 World Cup and the Ashes," Silverwood said.

"We need him firing in all formats of the game."

England squad in full:

Joe Root (captain), James Anderson, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Mark Wood.

Brathwaite was speaking about Archer’s decision to visit his home in between the first and second Test in the #raisethebat Series against the West Indies.

Archer’s decision saw him miss the second Test which is headed to day four after Saturday was rained out.

The England pacer was fined by the English Cricket Board on Saturday but can play in the third Test if he tests negative for COVID-19.

“For me, as a personal friend, I'm disappointed, not only in what Jofra's done but the scrutiny you get from the media,” said Brathwaite. 

According to Brathwaite, Archer has not done any favours to his image, though he believes the paceman is generally misunderstood.

“There has been talk before about his attitude and his laissez-faire way of going about things, which often discredits what he does on the field,” said Brathwaite.

“I just want to see his cricket do the talking, more than the concerns - which I think are misplaced - about his character. His tweeting, his social media, his quirky posts: that is Jofra Archer,” said Brathwaite.

Still, Brathwaite believes that there needs to be less pressure on athletes to be perfect and it must be remembered they are humans.

“As a cricketer myself, there are things outside of cricket that people would not agree with. People look to cricketers to set examples in life.

“He's not there for your son or daughter to look up to. He's there to live his life and do what he does best,” said Brathwaite.

The all-rounder wants it to be understood though, that even though he believes sportsmen get too much of a hard time, Archer still needs to be more responsible.

“That said, it does not excuse what he does. It's disappointing for me, as a personal friend, the backlash he will get.”

Jason Holder won a delayed toss and, under heavy skies in Manchester, opted to bowl first as West Indies chase a series-clinching victory.

While the tourists are unsurprisingly unchanged after their four-wicket triumph in Southampton last week, England have made four alterations to their team.

Joe Root - who missed the previous game due to the birth of his second child - returns to captain this side in place of Joe Denly, but England are without Jofra Archer, who was excluded from the squad following a breach of bio-secure protocols.

The pace bowler is to isolate for five days, during which he will undertake two COVID-19 tests. Both results need to be negative before his period of self-isolation is lifted.

Archer's absence was only confirmed on the morning of the Test, England having already announced on Wednesday that fellow pace bowlers James Anderson and Mark Wood would be rested at Old Trafford.

The uncapped Ollie Robinson misses out as Broad, Curran and Woakes get the nod.

"A statement has gone out this morning and as a side we've got to look at the next five days and put in a good performance to bounce back from last week," Root told Sky Sports after the toss.

The England skipper also confirmed that despite Archer being ruled out, there was no consideration to adding either Anderson or Wood to the 12-man squad.

"With both of those, having come back from two serious injuries, it seemed very high risk to play them in this game," Root added. "This is a must-win game for us, but we have to look after them."

England endured a dismal defence of their ODI title in India last year, failing to make it out of the group stage as they lost six of their nine matches.

They are desperate for a better showing as they look to retain their 20-over crown at the T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies, with their opener coming against Scotland on June 4.

Before then, Buttler's team face Pakistan in a four-match home T20I series, and he has witnessed a determination to respond within the camp.  

"That pride was obviously dented and it was a really disappointing competition," Buttler recalled.

"But life moves on, it's a chapter in the book and there's lessons you learn but we're presented with a new opportunity, a different format.

"We go to the West Indies and want to give a better account of ourselves."

Headingley is the venue for England's first match against Pakistan on Wednesday, when Jofra Archer could make his first international appearance for over a year.

The fast bowler has missed the better part of two years with elbow and back issues, but Buttler says he has impressed in training this week.

"He's bowling quick," Buttler said of Archer. "It was good fun facing him in the nets yesterday, a really good challenge. It's great to see him back."

Both sides needed an emphatic win in their last match of the regular season to stay in the hunt for a place in the last four and it was KKR who delivered.

Morgan's side are up to fourth and must now wait for the outcome of the clashes between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday and Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians the following day to see if they qualify.

England ODI captain Morgan top scored with 68 not out off 35 balls to get the Knight Riders up to 191-7 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Shubman Gill (36) and Rahul Tripathi (39) also chipped in, while Rahul Tewatia was the pick of the bowlers with 3-25 and Jofra Archer (1-19) was outstanding yet again.

The Royals could only muster 131-9 in reply, paceman Cummins doing the bulk of the damage with 4-34.

Defeat for Steve Smith's men leaves them bottom of the table despite a late resurgence, Shivam Mavi and Varun Chakravarthy taking two wickets apiece as they fell well short of their victory target.

MORGAN GIVES STOKES A TASTE OF HIS OWN MEDICINE

Gill and Tripathi put on 72 for the second wicket in eight overs after Archer had Nitish Rana caught behind for a golden duck in the first over.

Tewatia got rid of Gill and Sunil Narine in a ninth over that went for just six runs, but skipper Morgan flexed his muscles in dewy conditions and Andre Russell smashed 25 off 11 balls.

Ben Stokes had a day to forget, Morgan hitting his England team-mate for back-to-back sixes in a penultimate over that cost 24 runs, with the left-hander – who cleared the rope six times – also setting about Shreyas Gopal.

RAPID CUMMINS RATTLES ROYALS

The Royals needed their key men such as Stokes and Smith to fire, but their tournament was all-but over when they were 41-5 at the end of the powerplay.

Cummins steamed through the top order, removing Robin Uthappa, Stokes, Smith and Riyan Parag.

Jos Buttler made 35 and Tewatia 31 but Rajasthan were never going to recover from Australia paceman Cummins' devastating early hostile burst.

With James Anderson's place in the side having all but been confirmed on Wednesday, it was Archer – struggling to replicate the form he showed in 2019 – who made way for Curran.

Ben Stokes was already a guaranteed absentee after he left the squad on Sunday to travel to New Zealand for family reasons, with Zak Crawley replacing the all-rounder.

In Stokes' absence, England captain Joe Root elected to give seamer Curran an opportunity to build on some impressive performances against West Indies while also adding extra depth to England's batting order.

"I think more than anything it was to lengthen our batting, with Ben missing out making sure we had that depth there," Root told BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.

"Also, Sam's record in England is fantastic and he deserves an opportunity. It gives Jofra a chance to rest up and be fully fit for the next game."

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first in sweltering conditions at the Rose Bowl, though Root believed England's swing bowlers could exploit the humid conditions.

"We would have batted first as well, but it's muggy and we've got a very good swing attack," Root said.

"We're looking forward to exploiting these conditions early and hopefully getting some wickets. Getting the first go at it isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially coming on the back of our bowling at Old Trafford."

There was just one change for Pakistan, with Fawad Alam earning his first Test appearance since 2009.

"He's been scoring lots of runs in first-class cricket. He's been patient for a long time," Pakistan captain Azhar Ali said.

"Seasoned character, seasoned player and waiting for this opportunity for a long time. He has all the potential."

Returning England captain Joe Root was rocked by the news that he would have to do without Jofra Archer as his side attempt to level the three-match series after the paceman breached bio-secure protocols.

Roston Chase (2-53) took two wickets in as many balls either side after lunch to reduce England to 29-2 after Jason Holder won the toss and opted to bowl under grey skies following a delayed start.

Sibley (86 not out) and Stokes, unbeaten on 59, batted with great disciplined to make it England's day in Manchester, putting on an unbroken 126 to leave Root's side 207-3 at stumps.

Holder dropped Sibley on 68, but the opener deserved that stroke of luck after showing great application to frustrate the Windies, eyeing a first Test series win in England since 1988 after their victory in Southampton last week.

The Windies pacemen were wayward when play got underway 90 minutes late due to rain, but Chase trapped Rory Burns (15) leg before on the stroke of lunch in his first over.

Chase was on a hat-trick after lunch when Zak Crawley clipped the first ball he faced to Holder at leg slip, but Sibley and Root steadied the ship with a stand of 52.

Root trudged off after edging Alzarri Joseph to Holder at second slip, but Sibley continued to dig in and Stokes launched Chase for the first six of the series down the ground in a probing final over before tea, which England took on 112-3.

Sibley brought up a hard-earned half-century off 164 balls and had a life when he nicked Shannon Gabriel - returning after a spell off the field - to Holder, but the skipper put down a straightforward chance.

Gabriel got Holder in on the action again at second slip, but this time with a huge wide, and Stokes reverse-swept Chase for four before he had his 50 off 119 deliveries in a wicket-less final session.

Stubborn Sibley stands firm

Sibley showed great powers of concentration to drop anchor for a second consecutive half-century.

The Warwickshire opener faced 253 balls and struck only four boundaries in a disciplined traditional Test match knock to close in on a second international hundred.

Stokes, captain in the absence of Root at the Rose Bowl, was also watchful and England - who recalled Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran - will be hopeful of building on the foundations laid.

Chase shows Windies are not all about pace 

Gabriel was man of the match in the first Test, but the Windies pacemen failed to make the impact Holder had in mind when he put England in on a gloomy first day.

They lacked control and did not show the threat they posed on the south coast, but Chase delivered when he has thrown the ball by Holder at the end of an hour-long first session.

The all-rounder hit Burns bang in front, the left-hander wasting a review, and saw the back of Crawley straight after lunch before generating turn without reward later in the day.

Joseph uproots England captain yet again

Windies fast bowler Joseph appears to have the measure of England captain Root.

When the returning skipper was tempted into an extravagant drive and edged to Holder it was the fourth time his last five Test knocks against the Windies he had been dismissed by Joseph.

Paceman Archer has not played for England since March 2021, in a T20I against India in Ahmedabad.

The 27-year-old has only featured four times since for his county Sussex, last playing in July last year.

He underwent surgery in May on a long-standing elbow problem, and needed a second operation to try and fix the issue in December, having missed the T20 World Cup and the Ashes.

That was expected to keep him out until June, though Archer had hoped to return to action for Sussex in the T20 Blast later this month. However, he failed to feature in second-team warm-up matches and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has now confirmed the seamer is facing another long spell on the sidelines.

"After being diagnosed with a stress fracture to the lower back, England and Sussex seamer Jofra Archer has been ruled out for the rest of the season," a statement from the ECB read.

"No timeframe has been set for his return. A management plan will be determined following further specialist opinion over the coming days."

News of Archer's injury is a fresh blow for England, who are without a host of fast bowlers for the first Test against New Zealand in June.

Ben Stokes, who has replaced Joe Root as captain, is unable to call on Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Sam Curran, Mark Wood, Olly Stone, Matthew Fisher or Saqib Mahmood, who like Archer has a stress fracture in his lower back and will not play again this season.

The 26-year-old was last week ruled out of England's two-Test series against New Zealand after suffering a setback on his return to domestic action for Sussex.

Archer, who previously had an operation on a hand injury at the end of March, was unable to bowl during the final two days of the County Championship match against Kent.

Having managed just two matches since being given an injection for the long-standing issue in March, it has now been confirmed Archer will go under the knife. 

A short statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday read: "Jofra Archer has been reviewed by a medical consultant in respect of his right elbow soreness.

"He will now proceed to surgery tomorrow. Further updates will be released in due course."

Archer has 42 wickets at an average of 31.04 in 13 Test appearances for England, who face New Zealand in a two-Test series next month as part of a busy schedule until the end of the year.

England play white-ball series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, as well as five Tests against India, ahead of the T20 World Cup and Ashes Tour of Australia.

All-rounder Stokes brought an end to his 50-over international career in July because of an "unsustainable" schedule alongside his Test captaincy.

However, the 31-year-old recently suggested he may potentially consider representing England at the World Cup in Pakistan in October and November.

Mott is hopeful that will be the case and will not rush Stokes – the man of the match when England beat New Zealand in the 2019 final – into making a decision.

"The door is always open for a player of that quality but we are also very aware that his main focus is red ball cricket as the captain," he told reporters. 

"We respect that and when he's ready to chat, we'll do that."

Asked if there will be a cut-off point for Stokes to decide what he wants to do, Mott said: "I've had some good discussions with Jos [Buttler] and Rob Key on this.

"Players are playing a lot of franchise cricket, coming in and out at different times, so we need to keep a really flexible, open mind to players. 

"When we sit down to pick that 15 for the World Cup, we want to pick the best players possible."

Mott was speaking ahead of England's three-match ODI series against South Africa, which begins in Bloemfontein on Friday.

Stokes may not be present, but fast bowler Jofra Archer is in line for his first international appearance since March 2021 after recovering from a series of injury setbacks.

"Having watched him from a distance, I think he's one of the most exciting things to have happened in cricket for the last decade. It will be great to have him," Mott said.

"He's full throttle, fast and brings such energy. He is one of those guys that if you are there sitting in the pub and he's bowling, you're watching. That's a big thing to have.

"Everyone here will get a lift around bowlers like him. He's spent a lot of time out and I know he's absolutely frothing to play."

The tourists were bamboozled by spin to lose the Test series but found a pitch much more to their liking at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, a venue where they twice suffered heavy defeats to go down 3-1 in the longest format.

Jofra Archer led the way with figures of 3-23 as India – who host the ICC T20 World Cup later this year – were restricted to 124-7 after being put in by visiting captain Eoin Morgan.

England had no such problems in their reply, Jason Roy smashing 49 off 32 deliveries to help wrap up victory with 27 balls to spare. 

Jos Buttler contributed 28 in an opening partnership worth 72 with Roy, who hit three sixes before being trapped lbw by Washington Sundar, one of three frontline spinners selected by the hosts for the opener in a five-match series. 

By contrast, England fielded a solitary slow bowler in their XI. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid (1-14) claimed the prized scalp of Virat Kohli for a duck having opened the bowling in a T20 at international level for the first time. 

Archer and Mark Wood (1-20) also struck early blows as India limped along to 22-3 by the end of the batting powerplay. Shreyas Iyer led a recovery of sorts, top-scoring with 67, but their final total never appeared enough at the halfway point. 

Rishabh Pant (21) thrilled the crowd with an outrageous reverse sweep off Archer that went for six, yet could only pick out Jonny Bairstow when he flicked a full delivery from Ben Stokes into the deep. 

Iyer and Hardik Pandya (19) shared a half-century stand having come together at 48-4, only for the latter to become the first of two wickets in as many deliveries from the excellent Archer. 

England made sure there were no complications in the chase with a powerplay onslaught from their openers, allowing Dawid Malan and Bairstow to ease them to their paltry target, the duo finishing unbeaten on 24 and 26 not out respectively. 

England won the toss and decided to bowl first, and it almost looked to be the wrong choice as Pakistan raced to 59-0 within the first six overs.

However, Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer quickly bowled Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam to turn the tide as Pakistan suddenly collapsed.

England's bowlers turned on the style as Liam Livingstone got a double wicket maiden (2-17), with Rashid (2-27) and Mark Wood (2-35) also doing their part to limit Pakistan to 157 all out in the final over.

England comfortably chased down 158, with Phil Salt (45) and captain Joss Buttler (39) getting them off to a strong start as the openers.

Will Jacks added a further 20 before Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook, who finished the game off with a final six, saw England to 158-3 with 27 balls remaining.

After two washouts disrupted the series in Leeds and Cardiff, England got a confidence-boosting victory ahead of their World Cup title defence, which will begin against Scotland in Barbados on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will play the United States in their World Cup Opener on Thursday. 

Data Debrief: Buttler breaks records

Buttler has broken the record for playing the most T20Is (116) for England, surpassing Eoin Morgan.

Though he did not quite reach the heights of England's win at Edgbaston, his knock saw him hit seven fours and one six on their way to a comfortable victory. 

The 28-year-old has not played professional cricket since a recurrence of an elbow injury at the Indian Premier League in May.

He has been plagued by injuries since bursting on to the international scene by helping England win the 50-over World Cup in 2019 before starring in that summer’s Ashes.

Archer did train with England during their white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December and Key is optimistic he can play a part in their T20 World Cup title defence.

“Our plan is the T20 World Cup, building him up slowly,” Key told the BBC’s Tailenders podcast.

“I saw him bowl in the Caribbean and it was like he’d never been away.

“I don’t want to get back to this thing where he plays and then goes down again.

“He wanted to play in the IPL, but we said not this time. Hopefully the years he has missed he can add to the end of his career. He is such a talent.”

England begin the T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and the United States, against Scotland in Barbados on June 4.

After a washout stopped their first game against Scotland, England lost to Australia and knew that a defeat on Thursday would see them knocked out of the World Cup.

Oman just could not get a foothold with only Shoaib Khan able to reach double figures with 11 as England put in a stellar bowling performance.

Adil Rashid was the standout with his 4-11, but Jofra Archer (3-12) and Mark Wood (3-12) helped to cap the performance as Oman were all out for 47 after 13.2 overs.

With a target of 48, England came out to bat on a mission, with Phil Salt hitting two sixes on the first two balls before being caught.

In the end, it would only take them 19 balls to hit their target, with captain Jos Buttler getting an impressive 24 off eight balls, though it was Jonny Bairstow who got the important four to take them to 50-2.

Data Debrief: England came out on a mission, and smashed it

Oman's tally of just 47 is the fourth-lowest total a team has managed in a T20 World Cup match, while it also proved to be England's best bowling performance in the competition.

With 101 balls remaining following England's successful chase, they set a new World Cup record.

Stokes is convalescing from surgery to a longstanding left knee problem and the England Test captain hopes to return to full all-rounder status in 2024, having functioned as a specialist batter recently.

His unbeaten 52 in the T20 World Cup final 13 months ago got England over the line and Mott admitted that reserving Stokes a spot for next year’s title defence represents something of a no-brainer.

The England white-ball head coach is also keeping close tabs on Archer, who it is hoped can return to full fitness in time for the T20 World Cup in June after a string of injuries to his right elbow.

“Ben, aside from his incredible match-winning ability in every department is that ability to have a seam bowler in that top-six gives you so many options with your team balance,” Mott said.

“A lot of the times you have to give up something. If you win, everyone says ‘oh, they got it right’. If you lose, it’s ‘they were a bowler short or a spinner short’.

“When you’ve got a seam bowler in your top-six, it makes selection a hell of a lot easier. So (choosing him at the T20 World Cup) is a given. Every team in the world wants someone like that and they’re rare.

“In terms of Jofra, you’ve just got absolute box-office pace, change of pace, bowl any over in the innings. Him on the park is massive, everyone would agree with that.”

England, without regulars Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood, have fought back from 2-0 down in their T20 series against the West Indies to level at 2-2 and force a decider in Trinidad on Thursday.

And Mott gave a strong indication that the majority of the players involved in this series will be on the plane when England return for the T20 World Cup in June in the Caribbean and United States.

“We always said with this series we’d go pretty close to the side we’re looking for,” Mott said. “Otherwise, why would they be here? We don’t get many opportunities to play together before the World Cup.”

Phil Salt has made an irresistible case to open alongside Jos Buttler for the foreseeable future with match-winning innings of 109 not out in Grenada on Saturday and an England record 119 in Trinidad.

While he has flickered in an England shirt before, Salt is reaping the benefits of continuity in selection, having been on the fringes of both white-ball sides before this breakout tour.

“I’ve always thought he was an amazing player,” Mott said. “He does stuff that not many people can do and we’ve seen it at domestic level for a long time and we’ve seen glimpses of it internationally.

“It was funny – after he got the first hundred I said ‘it’s a habit now’ and he had true belief in it. You could see a different look in his eyes, it was like ‘not only do I belong, but I’ve got this’.

“You don’t know what you’ve got until you’ve achieved it. All of a sudden, he’s away, his international career is flying and he’s in the record books forever.”

England’s two wins have taken some pressure off Mott after their group-stage exit at the 50-over World Cup and ODI series defeat to the West Indies.

“I’ve been around the game a long time and I know it’s like the share market, your stocks go up and down all the time,” the Australian added.

“When you get into coaching, you realise you shouldn’t take too much credit for the success and not too much blame for the failures.”

Archer flew home from the tour of South Africa last week and has been ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka and the Indian Premier League, although Rajasthan Royals are still hoping he can play a part in the tournament.

England Test captain Joe Root denied the paceman has been overbowled early in his international career.

Head coach Silverwood has conceded that England may need to consider using Archer in shorter spells to give him the best opportunity to stay fit.

"Things like [bowling 40 overs in an innings] we have to look at," Silverwood said. "But sometimes, when needs must, you've got to do it.

"We managed Mark Wood through both the Test matches he's played here and he's bowled in short, sharp spells. Would we look to do that now with Jof? Yes, we probably would."

Archer bowled more overs than any of his England team-mates last year, but Silverwood would not take a different approach if he could go back in time.

"Not really. It's just a case of: his injury occurred, the first scan didn't show us where it was, the second has. We can now put a plan in place and get him going for our summer," the former England seamer said.

"Being a fast bowler is hard work. It is hard work. Ask Jimmy [Anderson], ask [Stuart] Broad, ask any of them. Being a fast bowler is hard work. It's just how it is."

He added: "We can't turn the clock back, all we can do is look to the future and say, 'Well, how are we going to do it from now on?'"

The 26-year-old has not played for England since their visit to India in March due to the long-standing issue.

Archer had surgery in May and was subsequently ruled out of the T20 World Cup and ongoing Ashes series, but the Barbados-born bowler revealed earlier this month that he was close to a return.

However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Tuesday that Archer went under the knife again 10 days ago, and is facing even more time out of action.

The ECB did not confirm a timeframe for Archer's absence, but he is not expected to return until the 2022 domestic season.

"The procedure addressed the long-standing stress fracture of his right elbow," the statement read. 

"A return to cricket will be determined in time, but Jofra will not be available for any of England's remaining winter series."

After the Ashes concludes in a month's time, England have five T20Is to come against West Indies from January 22 and three Tests against the same opponents in March.

England then face world champions New Zealand in a three-Test series on home soil, beginning on June 2.

Captain Joe Root opted to give the fit-again Wood the nod to replace James Anderson, who sustained a rib injury in the Ben Stokes-inspired victory in Cape Town that levelled the four-match series at 1-1.

Paceman Archer missed out in Port Elizabeth as he continues to battle a troublesome elbow problem, while Wood earned a place over Chris Woakes, who was also in contention.

"Jofra pulled up a little sore with his elbow, but credit to Woody, he's fit and firing and that's an exciting place to be, and two guys up around 90mph is an exciting place for England cricket," Root said. 

"We need to make sure we back up [Cape Town] well."

Wood last played a competitive fixture in England's thrilling Cricket World Cup final victory over New Zealand in July and underwent knee surgery after the tournament.

The paceman's last Test match was against the West Indies in St Lucia 11 months ago, but Wood insisted he is raring to go.

"I went to La Manga with James Anderson then the fast bowlers' camp. There've been question marks about my fitness, but that last game [in St Lucia] gives me confidence," he said. 

"Short, sharp burst, four-five overs, give it everything I've got. The outfield is quite green so [you have] got to be clever working on the ball and look after it well."

All-rounder Stokes is not involved following the recent death of his father, Ged, while paceman Archer is given a break following a busy year.

Both players will return to Test duty in February against India, with England's squad planning to fly directly to Chennai from Colombo ahead of that four-match series.

Opening batsman Rory Burns is another absentee from the 16-man group travelling to Sri Lanka; he will remain at home for the birth of his first child.

As for those that do make the trip, Bairstow is involved again having not played in the longest format since the first Test of the series against South Africa in December 2019.

The right-handed batsman averages 34.74 in his Test career with six centuries, including scoring 110 against Sri Lanka in Colombo just over two years ago when batting at number three in the order.

There is a place for uncapped Essex batsman Dan Lawrence too, while Moeen Ali, Dom Bess and Jack Leach provide spin options in the party.

England depart on January 2 for Hambantota, where the squad will prepare for action. Both Tests are to be staged in Galle.

Ollie Pope - who is still recovering from shoulder surgery - will join the party to continue his rehab work ahead of the tour to India, while a seven-man group of reserves has been announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

England Test squad: Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Reserves: James Bracey, Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.