England happy to accommodate Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and franchise players as duo are rested for South Africa ODIs

National selector Ed Smith is happy to give the pair and Sam Curran a break, even if it comes at the expense of the team

• England squads for South Africa white-ball tour confirmed

England will be without three of their Indian Premier League players for the one-day internationals against South Africa but national selector Ed Smith is not kicking up a fuss.

Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Sam Curran will miss the 50-over matches on December 4, 6 and 9 due to their gruelling schedule.

While Stokes and Archer have been representing Rajasthan Royals - playing eight and 14 times respectively - Curran has also been an ever-present for Chennai Super Kings.

After 87 days in the England bubble over the summer, 24-year-old Archer went straight to the United Arab Emirates for the IPL and has played every game for the eighth-place Royals.

Though Stokes hasn't represented his country since August, he has undergone two periods of quarantine in New Zealand - where he returned for family reasons - and the UAE.

All three players have spoken openly about the demands of living in bio-secure conditions, a necessary measure amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ECB have clearly listened to the concerns and have handed the trio a rest for the second half of the tour, though they are included for the three T20s which start on November 27.

^{Ed Smith is consigned to multi-format players being rested}

And even if it means England lose out, national selector Ed Smith is more than willing to manage their fitness while on international duty.

"We're very mindful about the amount of cricket we've got coming up over Christmas," Smith explained. "We have a very congested schedule with Test tours to Sri Lanka and India. 

"We want Jofra, Ben and Sam to be at their best when they're playing for England while taking some opportunities to rest them from some cricket.

"I don't think it's a question of too tired. I think it's more nuanced than that. If you look at their big performances in an England shirt I don't think anyone could question their commitment to the cause.

"Clearly multi-format players who also play franchise cricket, they are going to need some rest and that is something that we as selectors are very mindful of and will take when we believe it is in England's best interests."

In recent years, the ECB's stance on players playing franchise cricket - including the IPL which clashes with the start of the English summer - has softened. White-ball captain Eoin Morgan was keen for his team to play the back-to-back tournaments in order to prepare for the World Cup, with the IPL due to return next spring for the 14th edition.