ECB's squad rotation policy is "vital" says Jofra Archer

The England seamer, returning to the Test squad following a six-week break, backed the decision to rest several key players in India

Jofra Archer has backed the ECB’s decision to rest several key players during the upcoming tour of India, describing time away from the bubble environment as "vital".

England national selector, Ed Smith, divided opinion when he announced the 16-man squad in January after opting to send Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood home for the first two matches. Jos Buttler is also set to return home after the first Test in Chennai, which is due to begin on Friday (February 5).

However, England are scheduled to play an enormous number of matches in 2021 after last year’s international calendar was decimated by Covid-19.

Following the Test series and white-ball tour of India, England face a busy home summer with series against New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India before the re-arranged World T20 in autumn and an Ashes series against Australia to finish the year.

^{Sam Curran (L), Mark Wood (C) and Jonny Bairstow (R) have all been rested for the first two Tests against India}

And  Archer – himself returning to the squad with Ben Stokes (personal reasons) and Rory Burns (paternity leave) after missing the Sri Lanka tour – believes squad rotation is essential ahead of a busy 2021.

"Anyone criticising us has never been in a bubble," Archer said. "We have been in a bubble for months… almost a year now.

"I think it's vital to get in and out because humans are social people. It starts to get hard if you are not having a great game or not feeling good within your cricket because there is nowhere to go.

"I think the ECB has made it really great to give people like myself six weeks away. Jos [Buttler] is away after the [first Test], Sam [Curran] has gone, so they are making it a priority that everyone gets time away so they can come back refreshed and ready to go.

"I looked at the schedule today and all I can say is it’s going to be a very long year."

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Continuing to praise England’s bubble set-up, Archer added: "I don’t really mind [being in the bubble] to be honest because I know I’ll get my time away. I’m just going to focus on the job at hand.

"If it does get too overbearing it is okay to say that. I think Spoons [England head coach, Chris Silverwood] has said already that if you have a problem come and tell him. But, at the moment, I am good to go until at least July."

England are in India ahead of a four-match Test series, followed by an eight-match white-ball tour (five ODIs and three T20s) which is scheduled to finish on March 28.