{"id":178328,"date":"2026-06-08T16:05:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T21:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=178328"},"modified":"2026-06-08T16:05:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T21:35:13","slug":"eng-vs-nz-england-coach-brendon-mccullum-hopeful-jofra-archer-will-be-available-for-second-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=178328","title":{"rendered":"ENG vs NZ: England coach Brendon McCullum \u2018hopeful\u2019 Jofra Archer will be available for second Test"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"content-body-71076827\">England could face a tricky decision over Jofra Archer\u2019s return, with coach Brendon McCullum \u201chopeful\u201d that the fast bowler will be available for next week\u2019s second Test against New Zealand.<\/p>\n<p>Archer, despite having an England central contract, was not considered for the series opener at Lord\u2019s following a lengthy stint in the Indian Premier League.<\/p>\n<p>The 31-year-old rested up instead in his native Barbados as England, which is looking to recover from a humiliating Ashes series loss in Australia, started its international season with a comprehensive 115-run win over the Black Caps.<\/p>\n<p>England\u2019s pace attack made the most of excessively seam-friendly conditions in what was the 150th Test staged at Lord\u2019s, the most of any ground, with Ollie Robinson and Gus Atkinson taking seven wickets each and Josh Tongue bagging five.<\/p>\n<p>The trio will all expect to feature at the Oval, where England will bid to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.<\/p>\n<p>Express quick Archer, however, has long been regarded as a first-choice selection when fit and available.<\/p>\n<p>Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir did not send down a single over at Lord\u2019s, but with improved batting conditions expected at the Oval, England may decide it still needs a specialist slow bowler. Archer is due back in England later this week and could be added to the squad.<\/p>\n<p><b>ALSO READ | <a href=\"https:\/\/sportstar.thehindu.com\/cricket\/ban-vs-aus-odi-series-preview-squads-bangladesh-upset-depleted-australia-mehidy-miraz-josh-inglis\/article71076235.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">BAN vs AUS, ODI Series Preview: Upbeat Bangladesh seeks upset against depleted Australia<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the next couple of days we\u2019ll probably drill down on that, but we\u2019re hopeful he will be available for the second Test; then we\u2019ll work out conditions-wise where we\u2019re at. He\u2019s following a plan (in Barbados). He\u2019s bowling,\u201d said McCullum.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe completely trust Jof, and he\u2019s shown us in the past what he does, which is get himself ready based on the plans we get together and come up with. He\u2019s always turned up in the condition we wanted from him,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>England captain Ben Stokes is the fourth seamer in the pace attack, and the all-rounder was more of a support act at Lord\u2019s, a ground where he often has been the star of the show.<\/p>\n<p>He only bowled himself for seven overs in the match, taking one wicket on Sunday\u2019s fourth and final morning, and was dismissed for 12 and nought.<\/p>\n<p>Batsmen on both sides struggled on a pitch of sharply uneven bounce, but Stokes has been light on runs for England for a couple of years. Since the start of 2024, he has averaged a modest 27.09, with just one hundred in his past 48 innings.<\/p>\n<p>Stokes has just moved down a place in the batting order to number seven, and McCullum believes his skipper, who turned 35 during the first Test, has the experience to succeed in the new role.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStokesy obviously hasn\u2019t got the runs that he wanted of late, but I\u2019m confident with the work he\u2019s been doing,\u201d said McCullum.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like he\u2019s moving a lot better. I feel like his fluency is starting to come back. Number seven is quite a nice role for him. With his experience and cricketing nous, he\u2019s able to operate and guide the tail quite nicely, plus he\u2019s got the raw power if you\u2019re eight or nine wickets down,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"publish-time\" id=\"end-of-article\">Published on Jun 08, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/sportstar.thehindu.com\/cricket\/brendon-mccullum-jofra-archer-updates-second-test-new-zealand-availability\/article71076827.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>England could face a tricky decision over Jofra Archer\u2019s return, with coach Brendon McCullum \u201chopeful\u201d that the fast bowler will be available for next week\u2019s second Test against New Zealand. Archer, despite having an England central contract, was not considered for the series opener at Lord\u2019s following a lengthy stint in the Indian Premier League. &#8230; <a title=\"ENG vs NZ: England coach Brendon McCullum \u2018hopeful\u2019 Jofra Archer will be available for second Test\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=178328\" aria-label=\"Read more about ENG vs NZ: England coach Brendon McCullum \u2018hopeful\u2019 Jofra Archer will be available for second Test\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":178329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-178328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2025-12-20T005335Z_1152495495_UP1ELCK02H903_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ASHES.JPG","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":176191,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=176191","url_meta":{"origin":178328,"position":0},"title":"England aims to erase Ashes scars against New Zealand","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"England will have a chance to prove it has learned from its Ashes drubbing when it faces New Zealand in the first Test of its home season at Lord\u2019s on Thursday. The English were swept aside 4-1 in Australia in a series that ended in January, sparking renewed criticism of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AFP_A7QJ8CQ.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AFP_A7QJ8CQ.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AFP_A7QJ8CQ.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AFP_A7QJ8CQ.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AFP_A7QJ8CQ.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":176969,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=176969","url_meta":{"origin":178328,"position":1},"title":"Ollie Robinson scripts dream England comeback with three wickets in first over at Lord\u2019s","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"It was around Christmas that Ollie Robinson thought he would never play for England again. The English, at that time, were playing in Australia, and Robinson was nowhere near. But circumstances put him back on the radar. England lost the Ashes 4-1 and was resetting. Coach Brendon McCullum messaged Robinson\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Britain_England_New_Zealand_Cricket_96115.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Britain_England_New_Zealand_Cricket_96115.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Britain_England_New_Zealand_Cricket_96115.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Britain_England_New_Zealand_Cricket_96115.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Britain_England_New_Zealand_Cricket_96115.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":175869,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=175869","url_meta":{"origin":178328,"position":2},"title":"Bethell fit to play for England in Test series against New Zealand; coach McCullum calls for \u2019refined\u2019 Bazball","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"England No. 3 batter Jacob Bethell is fit to play the first Test against New Zealand starting on Thursday despite having to cut short his time in the Indian Premier League (IPL) because of a finger injury on his left hand. Bethell was forced to leave eventual IPL champion Royal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780410466_image2010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780410466_image2010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780410466_image2010.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780410466_image2010.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780410466_image2010.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":176286,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=176286","url_meta":{"origin":178328,"position":3},"title":"Stokes backs Archer amid criticism over IPL commitments and absence from first Test against New Zealand","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"England captain Ben Stokes said the \u201clandscape of cricket\u201d has changed as he defended Jofra Archer\u2019s absence from the first Test against New Zealand at Lord\u2019s because of the fast bowler\u2019s IPL commitments. Archer was part of the Rajasthan Royals side that lost to Gujarat Titans in the IPL qualifier\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PTI05_29_2026_000554A.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PTI05_29_2026_000554A.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PTI05_29_2026_000554A.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PTI05_29_2026_000554A.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PTI05_29_2026_000554A.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":176081,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=176081","url_meta":{"origin":178328,"position":4},"title":"England fast bowler Sonny Baker pushing for Test debut at Lord\u2019s against New Zealand","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"England could hand a Test debut to fast bowler Sonny Baker when it faces New Zealand in Thursday\u2019s series-opener at Lord\u2019s. The 23-year-old is in contention to feature in England\u2019s first Test since its 4-1 Ashes drubbing in Australia. Josh Tongue and the recalled Ollie Robinson appear likely to take\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780450786_image2011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780450786_image2011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780450786_image2011.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780450786_image2011.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780450786_image2011.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":177965,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=177965","url_meta":{"origin":178328,"position":5},"title":"England\u2019s Bazball reset begins with 115-run win over New Zealand on Day 4 at Lord\u2019s","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"June 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"England wrapped up a 115-run victory over New Zealand before lunch on Day 4 of the first cricket test at Lord\u2019s on Sunday, marking a positive start to its \u201cBazball\u201d reset after the Ashes defeat Down Under. Resuming on 55-5 and requiring 254 for an unlikely win, New Zealand lost\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-06T134158Z_1554595005_UP1EM66121WCT_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-06T134158Z_1554595005_UP1EM66121WCT_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-06T134158Z_1554595005_UP1EM66121WCT_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-06T134158Z_1554595005_UP1EM66121WCT_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-06T134158Z_1554595005_UP1EM66121WCT_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgnRh4-Kog","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=178328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/178329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=178328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=178328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=178328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}