Jofra Archer ruled out of West Indies ODIs, replacement named

LONDON: Right-arm speedster Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against West Indies, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday.

According to the cricket board, the pacer sustained an injury to his right thumb and will be reassessed by the medical board over the next fortnight to determine the potential date of his return.

“England Men's and Sussex pace bowler Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the Metro Bank ODI series against the West Indies due to a right thumb injury,” the ECB said in a statement.

“He will be reassessed by the England medical team over the next fortnight to determine when he may return to action,” the statement added.

Notably, the 30-year-old was not picked for the T20I series against West Indies as he was scheduled to represent England Lions against India A in Northampton, slated to commence on June 6.

However, the thumb injury has put his availability for the unofficial Tests in jeopardy as the ECB’s medical team is yet to determine its extent.

Jofra Archer has been replaced by Lancashire pacer Luke Wood, who recently represented Peshawar Zalmi in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10.

The three-match ODI series is scheduled to get underway on May 29 in Birmingham, while the second and third T20Is are slated to be played on June 1 and 3, respectively.

England squad for ODI series against West Indies: Harry Brook (c), Luke Wood, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith