Sawt Falasteen - Stokes defends Archer's England absence due to IPL duties

Several months after their embarrassing 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia, England return to Test cricket against New Zealand at Lord's on Thursday.

But they will be without pace spearhead Archer, a member of the Rajasthan Royals team beaten by Gujarat Titans in the IPL last Friday.

The 31-year-old is now in Barbados, the country of his birth, and his availability even for the second Test at the Oval remains uncertain.

Archer has a lucrative England central contract and has been supported by the England and Wales Cricket Board through five years of injury trouble.

Former New Zealand paceman Simon Doull said it was "absolutely ludicrous" that Archer would be absent from the series opener.

But Stokes told reporters at Lord's on Wednesday that top white-ball players could be lost to Test cricket if they had to make themselves available for every match.

"I totally understand people's frustrations around it, but there is another side to it," he said.

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

"A lot of points people are making around Jof and that situation are to do with the landscape when they were playing.

"But it's completely different now. There are opportunities for cricketers now that there were not 10, 15, 20 years ago."

Stokes said Archer's desire to play for his country was unquestionable, warning against a hardline approach.

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

"Jofra has shown that he's committed and loves playing for England. Just because he's not available for this first Test match does not change that."

Jacob Bethell represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 20-over IPL but is in the England team at Lord's, the first of a three-Test series.

The batter has played no meaningful red-ball cricket since his stunning Ashes century in Sydney in January.

"It's just one of those things. You have your number three (Bethell), he has a great couple of games out in Australia, then he spends nine or 10 weeks out in India and you are seeing him two days before a Test match," said Stokes.

"That is almost becoming the norm. The game is changing all the time. There are some things you have to roll with and accept, it is what it is."

B.Mahmoud--SF-PST