Archer ruled out until summer

England fast bowler Jofra Archer has been ruled out until the summer after having a second operation on his long-standing right elbow injury.

Archer, 26, had surgery to address the stress fracture on 11 December.

He had a previous operation in May and had returned for Sussex, but was then ruled out of the recent Men’s T20 World Cup and the Ashes series.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said Archer will not be available for the rest of England’s winter series.

They added Archer’s return will be “determined in time”.

Following the Ashes in Australia, England play five Twenty20s against West Indies from 22-30 January, before returning to the Caribbean for three Tests in March.

England start their 2022 home summer with three Tests against world champions New Zealand, beginning on 2 June.

They are also set to play the Netherlands in three one-day internationals, face India in both a white-ball series and the rescheduled fifth Test that was postponed in September, before three ODIs, three T20s and three Tests against South Africa.

Archer has played 13 Tests, 17 one-day internationals and 12 T20s for England, and was part of the team that won the 50-over World Cup in 2019.

His last appearance for England was in a T20 against India in March, before the Barbados-born bowler had an operation to remove bone fragments from his right elbow in May.

The surgery was unrelated to a previous stress fracture, which was discovered in early 2020.

He returned for Sussex in a T20 Blast match in July before a setback in his recovery.

Archer, one of the premier T20 fast bowlers in the world, would have formed a key part of England’s attack at the T20 World Cup, where Eoin Morgan’s side were beaten in the semi-finals by New Zealand.

His extra pace was also a crucial part of England’s plans for this winter’s Ashes series.

England are 2-0 down in the five-match Ashes following heavy defeats at Brisbane and Adelaide. (BBC)