London [UK], December 4 : Star pacer Jofra Archer’s chances of returning to England’s Test fold increased after his central contract was extended past the 2025-26 Ashes.

England Test captain Ben Stokes is confident that Archer is “very interested” in returning to the red-ball setup despite his recent tussle with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over his availability in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

Archer’s last appearance for England in Test cricket dates back to February 2021. He is one of the three English quicks who saw their central contracts upgraded to October 2026.

Brydon Carse, who recently scythed 10 scalps for England in the opening Test against New Zealand last week, and Matthew Potts are the other two pacers who saw their central contracts upgraded to 2026.

Archer’s contract extension could indicate potential regular appearances for the 29-year-old quick. Since bursting into action in 2019, injuries have been Archer’s biggest nemesis on his way to the top.

The ECB has held faith in Archer by closely monitoring his progress and managing his workload to ensure he remains injury-free.

In 2024, Archer has shown consistency in his performances, making 20 appearances for England across all formats. He was included in England’s eight T20 World Cup matches and was the joint-highest wicket-taker for the Three Lions with 10 scalps.

Ahead of England’s second Test against New Zealand, Stokes affirmed Archer’s resolve to return to red-ball cricket is firm.

“The excitement is understandable around Jofra. The best thing is he is back on the field playing. I am sure he might have thought he might not have the chance to put on an England shirt again, and the injuries and surgeries he has gone through could have ended other people’s careers, so there is no rushing back for anything for Jofra,” Stokes said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

“He is being handled very well by the ECB, and that will certainly continue. But Jof is a man of few words, even over WhatsApp. I had one a couple of months ago, saying ‘Zimbabwe?’. That shows he is very interested in playing Test cricket for England,” he added.

It is highly unlikely that Archer would feature in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe due to his commitments with the Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2025. If the ECB decides to take him out of the tournament, according to the new regulations, Archer would be banned for two years from participating in the cash-rich league.

His return to Test format for England could be against India in June. Archer could familiarise himself with the demands of red-ball cricket by potentially featuring in County Championship matches, which will begin on June 22.

“When the decision gets made between him and the people who make those decisions around players, I am sure there will be conversations that he will have to get some different loading,” Stokes said.

“You can come back and play a one-day game and get two or three different spells. But in Test cricket, you have to do that over a long period of time and then another day to back it up. There is no doubt he is going so well at the moment, it is a case of he will have to build the body up to handle the extra pressure of a Test match,” he added.

Jacob Bethell, who made his Test debut during the opening New Zealand Test in Christchurch, saw his central contract upgraded to two years from the development contract that he awarded last month.

Bethell made his T20I and ODI debuts at the end of the 2024 English summer. He became the centre of attraction in the IPL 2025 mega auction when top franchises decided to go after his services.

He was eventually acquired by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after they managed to outbid the rest of the franchises with a Rs 2.6 crore bid.

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