Michael Vaughan reckons Jofra Archer will not play 3rd Test against West Indies; Read here

Michael Vaughan does not reckon that Jofra Archer will be able to play the third and final Test match of the ongoing series against West Indies.  The youngster was omitted for the 2nd Test match at the Old Trafford in Manchester for breaching bio-secure protocol ahead of England's must-win contest. 

'Would be very difficult': Michael Vaughan

“The fact that he was willing to go home and potentially threaten the series by bringing Covid-19 back into the bubble will mean that he is on the naughty step for a while, I am afraid. Realistically, it would be hard for him to play next week. I do not think they can bring him back in for the third test,” Vaughan had written this in ‘The Telegraph’.

The former English skippee said: “We have also got to understand that he is a young kid and this is really the first mistake he has made. What is important is that he learns, but also that he gets a little bit of support over the next five days – he is going to be locked in his room, no-one can see him. He needs people on the phone supporting him. You do not want to leave a young player, who has made a mistake, like that, on his own to have all the thoughts and gather a lot of negativity. He is online, he will have seen a lot of the responses to what he has done." 

“The selfish nature of what Jofra Archer did means he has got to earn the trust of the dressing room once again … All the players and coaching staff would have loved the opportunity to just nip home. Archer has broken the team discipline and the culture, so England had no option but to leave him out,” the cricket pundit further added.

What made Archer miss the 2nd Test?

The Barbados-born pacer's actions (violating the team's bio-secure protocols) means that the 2019 World Cup winner will have to commence a five-day isolation period followed by two rounds of COVID-19 tests after which the self-isolation norm will be lifted.

Archer, who faced criticism for not bowling at consistent speeds in the first Test, issued an apology for breaching the protocols. He further said that he was 'pained to miss the 2nd Test' and that he felt like he had let down both the teams. The West Indies team have also been apprised of the situation and are reportedly happy with the measures taken against Jofra Archer. 

A must-win match for England 

After they were outplayed by a spirited  West Indian team at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, this is a must-win match for England to stay alive in the three-match Test series as the hosts look to settle scores at the Old Trafford. England will be pumped up by the return of their regular Test skipper Joe Root who had missed the previous match as he was on paternity leave. Meanwhile, star pacers James Anderson and Mark Wood have been rested for this contest.

READ: ‘No Sympathy': Michael Holding Slams Jofra Archer For Violating The Bio-secure Protocols