Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020

Jofra Archer England commitment has been strongly defended by captain Ben Stokes after the fast bowler was ruled out of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.

Archer will miss the series opener starting Thursday after playing in the Indian Premier League with Rajasthan Royals, whose campaign ended in the playoffs against Gujarat Titans.

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Stokes Backs Archer Amid Criticism

Archer has faced criticism from some former players and pundits for not being available to England despite holding a central contract.

Stokes said he understood the frustration, but argued modern cricket has changed because players now have more franchise opportunities around the world.

"A lot of the points that people would be making around Jof and that situation I think are to do with the landscape back when they were playing," Stokes said.

"It's completely different now. There's opportunities for cricketers now that there wasn't 10, 15, 20 years ago.

"Yes, in an ideal situation, it would be unbelievably great to have everyone who you want available every single opportunity. But it's not the way of cricket at the moment. There's so much more out there for players."

England Managing Archer Carefully

England coach Brendon McCullum said Archer is taking “a little bit of a break at the moment” and will need to be assessed before the second Test, which starts on June 17.

Stokes warned England must handle the situation carefully if they want Archer to remain part of their future plans.

"There is a situation where it could get messy and players like Jofra might not play for England again if you handle it a different way," Stokes said, "and that's not good for anyone.

"Jof, I think, has shown that he is committed and loves playing for England. Just because he's not available for this first test match does not change that."

Official England cricket updates are available through the England and Wales Cricket Board.