England fast bowler Jofra Archer has been cleared to re-join the squad ahead of the third and final Test against West Indies after a second negative test for COVID-19. The pacer was forced to isolate for five days after he admitted breaking the team's bio-secure protocols ahead of the recently-concluded second Test against West Indies, following which he was withdrawn from the squad.
England's batter Harry Brook will lead the team in the One-Day International series against Australia as captain Jos Buttler recovers from a calf injury.
Archer, who has played his junior cricket in the Caribbean and qualified to play for England only in April, is a familiar figure for the West Indies camp and it knows what the 24-year-old is capable of.
'Archer is returning to the UK for further management and investigation of his right elbow injury'
England skipper Jos Buttler hammered a superb 83 off 45 balls to steer his side to a seven-wicket victory in the second Twenty20 international against West Indies.
The England fast bowler said he is fine with opposing fans having a go at him but that there is no room racism in any walk of life.
England pace bowler Jofra Archer has been omitted from the side for the first Ashes Test against Australia starting at Edgbaston on Thursday
Jofra Archer suffered a finger injury due to a freak fish tank incident before the tour of India.
Jofra Archer's England team mates will rally round the fast bowler after he reported being racially abused by a spectator during a Test match against New Zealand.
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody questioned if star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is worth being retained for Rs 18 crore by the Mumbai Indians (MI) for the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and also revealed his retention picks for the next season for the five-time champions.
Sai Sudharsan made the opportunity count in his comeback game with a fifty while Rishabh Pant suffered another injury as India played the old-fashioned way to reach 264 for four at stumps on Day 1 of the fourth Test in Manchester on Wednesday.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals played in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Of the 13 dismissals on the night, 10 were caught and these were the standouts.
Archer has been on the receiving end of racist abuse in the past, notably during the second Test defeat by New Zealand last year.
Injuries in the squad prevented England from training ahead of the last two One-Day Internationals against India, coach Brendon McCullum said.
Archer spent 17 months on the sidelines with back and elbow injuries
Archer would likely thrive on a pacey pitch in Johannesburg and if he is fit that would pose a selection dilemma for coach Chris Silverwood and captain Joe Root.
IMAGES from the ICC Champions Trophy Group B match between Afghanistan and England at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Wednesday.
Josh Hazlewood scalped four wickets in a brilliant spell as Royal Challengers Bengaluru staged a stunning comeback to edge Rajasthan Royals by 11 runs.
'Although the protocols might seem very severe, they've had to put those in place to get government approval for these games to happen'
Ahead of the mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Doha on December 26, the 10 franchises have released their list of retained and released players.
Riding high on their new-found confidence, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be hoping to finally get it right at home and keep their play-off hopes alive when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match in Kolkata on Sunday.
The spectator, in a letter of complaint to the ECB, also said women were subjected to sexist chants while homophobic abuse was directed at some players by the same group of people.
'It's also a great opportunity for myself and it's good to pass on a little bit of knowledge to the younger guys who haven't played as much Test cricket. And I am also learning from them.'
Jofra Archer has passed on details of the abuse to the English Cricket Board and is seeking to have action taken.
Captain Shubman Gill and the ever-dependable K L Rahul gave India a glimmer of hope with resilient half-centuries after a well crafted hundred from Ben Stokes extended England's supremacy in the fourth Test in Manchester on Saturday.
Yashasvi Jaiswal continued his meteoric rise in international cricket with yet another outstanding overseas tour
Ravichandran Ashwin attained the landmark of 400 wickets in Test cricket, trapping Jofra Archer leg before wicket, on Thursday, Day 2 of the third Test against England in Ahmedabad.
Adjudged the Man of the Match for his figures of 5 for 24, Chakravarthy said he is happy with the way he is bowling currently.
The series already in their pocket, India will look to address their batting woes against an England team gunning for revenge after feeling hard-done by a debatable concussion substitute when the two teams clash in the fifth and final T20 International in Mumbai on Sunday.
Next year's Indian Premier League will be held from March 14 to May 25, the BCCI has told the IPL franchises while also setting aside similar widows for the event's 2026 and 2027 editions
Kohli believes Archer has the pace to cause batsmen plenty of problems.
India will look to extend lead against England
Captain Harry Brook scored a dazzling 87 before Liam Livingstone wrought havoc by smashing 62 in 27 balls as England thrashed Australia by 186 runs in a rain-shortened ODI at Lord's.
Jos Buttler will however lead England's T20 side against West Indies.
The third Test at Lord's could well be the series' turning point. This isn't just about team combinations or tactical tweaks anymore. The pitch has emerged as a defining factor -- one that could tilt the balance of power in a contest hanging delicately at 1-1.
From Jasprit Bumrah's much-anticipated return to the all-rounder conundrum, the playing XI could very well hold the key to seizing control of this historic series.
He is unlikely to play in the one-off Test against Ireland before the Ashes after the uncapped Josh Tongue was added to the squad.
England quick Jofra Archer will keep up his aggressive approach in Sunday's World Cup final against New Zealand after his bouncer left Australia's Alex Carey with a bloodied chin in Thursday's semi-final at Edgbaston.
Mumbai Indians extended their remarkable winning streak to six matches with a 100-run rout of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025 match in Jaipur on Thursday.
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