June 04, 2026
Ben Stokes defended England's decision to rest Jofra Archer for the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord's after the fast bowler's Indian Premier League stint, with the captain warning that mishandling such situations could drive players away from international cricket.
Archer played 16 IPL matches as Rajasthan Royals reached the playoffs, and England coach Brendon McCullum suggested the 31-year-old could also miss the second game of the series.
"I know it has been spoken about the last couple of weeks about that situation. I totally understand people's frustrations around the situation but there is also another side to it," Stokes told reporters on Wednesday.
"A lot of it has got to do with the landscape of cricket and where it is at, at the moment... There is opportunity for cricketers now that there wasn't 10 or 20 years ago.
