Brendon McCullum, head coach of the England cricket team, has raised doubts about Jofra Archer's chances of playing in The Ashes series next year. Despite being declared fit, Archer may not be automatically selected for the squad, according to McCullum. Ollie Pope, who has been struggling in recent Test matches, has been given McCullum's backing to play against New Zealand. However, Archer's return to red-ball cricket may be further delayed due to his commitments with Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming IPL season.
England's stand-in captain, Ollie Pope, achieved a remarkable feat on Day 1 of the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Oval. Pope, who was leading the team in the absence of injured Ben Stokes, scored an unbeaten century and became the first player in Test cricket to score his first seven centuries against seven different teams. The 26-year-old batsman's first Test century came against South Africa in 2020, and since then, he has scored six more against New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, India, and West Indies.