Stokes insists he and his colleagues will rally round banished Archer
Ben Stokes pledged that England’s players would support Jofra Archer during his time away from the team for breaching biosecure protocols.
“We really need to be there to support Jofra right now,” Stokes said. “Obviously he’s a big talking point and he is by himself because of everything else going on at the moment. It’s making sure that it doesn’t feel like he’s by himself.”
Archer was omitted for the second Test after travelling home between Tests, in breach of rules to protocols designed to minimise the risks of any players contracting Covid-19. Archer faces a disciplinary process, which could lead him to being ruled out of next week’s third Test too.
“I think from us as players and as an England cricket group, this is a time where our way of operation needs to come through,” Stokes said. “The worst thing we could do right now as a team is just leave him and see him in five or six days’ time.
“At times like this people are very, very tough and you can feel like you are all by yourself. But I don’t think anybody is going to allow that to happen. Jofra’s a massive part of this group, as everybody is. If it was anybody else bar Jofra, it would be exactly the same.
“It’s all good being there for people when things are going well and smoothly, but what comes through is how you operate with someone when they need you the most.”
Stokes hit his second highest Test score, 176, out of England’s 469 for nine declared on the second day at Emirates Old Trafford.
The innings was his 10th Test century, and fourth during an outstanding run since the start of 2019. He is averaging 52 in this period – 14 more than England’s captain Joe Root – and being hailed as England’s best Test batsman.
“I feel like I’m at an age where I understand my game pretty much all the time,” Stokes said.
“Being an instinctive player is great at times, but don’t get too far ahead of yourself.
“I’m obviously really happy with where things are at the moment,
you know just understanding my game plan and trying to play the game as well, understanding where the way that West Indies are going to operate. When they bowl at me, their mode of operation is sort of to hang it out wide and test my patience so just really making sure that mentally more than anything I’m strong.”
Stokes praised Dom Sibley, who hit 120, his second Test century, in a marathon innings that lasted 372 balls. The two shared a partnership of 260 runs for the fourth wicket to put England in control.
“Having Sibbers at the top to be that rock and have nothing faze him and just go along as he does it obviously makes it a lot easier,” Stokes said.
“That’s something that we spoke about after the Ageas Bowl – being clinical and if you’re the person that’s managed to get yourself in on wickets then you’ve really got to go and make it count. And we keep saying that we base our Test matches on big first-innings runs and we managed to do that this week. Really promising signs for us going forward.”
England will hope that the weather remains in their favour, although some rain is forecast for today.
“We’re in a really strong position now,” Stokes said. “It’s about being aware of conditions – getting 450 after being put in is amazing.”