NOTTINGHAM, England – Jofra Archer is set to make his long-awaited return to England’s One Day International (ODI) line-up after an 18-month absence due to injury.
The dynamic Barbadian-born fast bowler has been confirmed to play in Thursday’s opening ODI against Australia at Trent Bridge, the first of a five-match series.
England’s stand-in captain, Harry Brook, announced Archer’s inclusion on Wednesday, marking the pacer’s first ODI appearance since March 2023. Despite Archer’s history of elbow and back injuries, Brook confirmed that there will be no restrictions on the bowler’s workload during the match.
A world-beater
“He’s obviously a world-beater, and it’ll be nice to have him alongside me and going out there and taking them on,” Brook said in an interview with BBC Sport.
Brook, who hasn’t faced much of Archer in the nets, expressed excitement about having such a seasoned player back in the team. “I haven’t faced him much in the nets, I try and stay away from that. He’s our strongest seamer and he’s got a lot of experience behind him in white-ball as well. I’m looking forward to working with him and seeing him operate again,” he added.
Archer, now 29, has been carefully managed by England after suffering multiple injuries in recent years. While injuries have limited him to just 21 ODI appearances—only seven of which have come since his pivotal role in England’s 2019 World Cup victory—his return marks a significant milestone. He has played exclusively in T20 cricket since recovering, including some club cricket in Barbados before participating in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
A significant test for Archer
Thursday’s match will be a significant test for Archer, whose six-over spell for Sussex’s second XI earlier this summer was his longest in a professional match this year. With the Ashes series in Australia looming just 14 months away, Archer’s return is seen as a crucial step towards preparing for that high-stakes contest.
Another Barbadian-born player, Jacob Bethell, has also been named in England’s ODI squad. Bethell played in the preceding T20 series, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
England ODI Squad: Harry Brook (captain), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, John Turner.
 line-up after an 18-month absence due to injury.){kind=link}