Amid criticism over the fast bowler’s absence from the first Test against New Zealand, England captain Ben Stokes has come out in support of Jofra Archer and insisted that the fast bowler’s commitment to England should not be questioned due to his IPL commitments.

Archer was allowed to remain with Rajasthan Royals for the IPL playoffs instead of joining the England squad before the start of the series at Lord’s.

The 31-year-old featured in Rajasthan’s defeat to Gujarat Titans in the qualifiers last week and is currently in Barbados, meaning he is unavailable for the first Test and could also miss the second match at the Oval.

His absence has been criticized by many former cricketers. Former England captain Michael Atherton described the situation as “incredibly disappointing” Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull called it “absolutely ridiculous”. Archer was not available for the start of the series.

Addressing the issue on the eve of the Lord’s Test, Stokes said the realities of modern cricket are very different from those faced by previous generations.

“I completely understand people’s frustration with this, but there’s another side to it,” Stokes told reporters.

“A lot of it has to do with the landscape of cricket and where it is at the moment.

“People are saying a lot of things around Joff and that situation related to the scenario when he was playing.

“But now it is completely different. There are opportunities for cricketers now which were not there 10, 15, 20 years ago.”

Stokes acknowledged that every captain would want his strongest team to be available for every match, but said that the congested cricket calendar often makes this impossible.

“Yes, in an ideal situation it would be incredibly nice to have everyone you want available to you at every opportunity.

“That’s not the way of cricket at the moment. There’s a lot out there for the players.”

The England captain quickly dismissed suggestions that Archer’s absence reflected a lack of commitment to the national team. The fast bowler is centrally contracted by England and has spent the last few years battling a number of injuries to revive his international career.

“There’s a situation where it could go wrong and if you handle it differently a player like Jofra may not be able to play for England again and that’s not good for anyone,” Stokes said.

“Jofra has shown that he is committed and loves playing for England. Just because he is not available for this first Test match, it will not change that.”

Archer’s absence has once again highlighted the challenges faced by international teams as franchise leagues continue to occupy a growing place in the cricket calendar.

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