Jofra Archer to be Tested for COVID-19 Again After Family Member Felt Unwell: ECB

England fast bowler Jofra Archer will be allowed to join the squad in their bio-secure bubble only if he tests negative in a second COVID-19 test, the England and Wales Cricket Board has said.

Archer tested negative in the first test on Monday but has been asked to take another test on Wednesday after a member of Archer’s household felt unwell over the weekend.

In a statement, the ECB said: “Archer, and members of his household, have tested negative for COVID-19. He will have a second test tomorrow, and if he tests negative, he will join up with the training group on Thursday.”

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The board said the rest of the group and the England management team arrived at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Tuesday afternoon to begin preparation ahead of the first Test against West Indies starting on July 8. The two teams are set to play three Tests in a bio-secure environment, in what will be the first international series following the COVID-19 enforced break.

Archer is eyeing a comeback following an elbow injury which limited his participation on the tour of South Africa. The tearaway pacer was subsequently ruled out of the Sri Lanka series and the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League, both of which were postponed.

“So far everything feels like clockwork. Crunch in, crunch out, my body feels fresh, and there are no issues with my right elbow whatsoever, touch wood,” Archer wrote in his column in Dailymail recently. “Despite the fact that the three matches of this series are played in such a short space of time … I could play all three — but everyone will be a bit cautious in terms of workload, thinking about the body and what lies ahead.”