Jonny Bairstow back in England squad but Jofra Archer is out of Ashes

Despite being regarded as one of the world’s best glovemen and averaging 38.9 with the bat under Test captain Ben Stokes, Foakes is out in the cold with Bairstow taking his spot in a 15-strong squad.

Rob Key, England’s managing director for men’s cricket, said: “It was a seriously tough decision to leave Ben Foakes out of the squad.

“He has been excellent for England in the last year, but Jonny Bairstow is one of the best players in the world whose performances last summer epitomised what we are about.”

There was little doubt Bairstow would come back in after amassing six hundreds in a breathtaking 2022 before breaking his leg in three places in an accident on a golf tee, which sidelined him for 10 months.

How England would accommodate him was the key question with fellow Yorkshireman Harry Brook amassing four centuries over the winter in the number five spot Bairstow had seemingly made his own.

Theories abounded that Zak Crawley could make way as England sought to fit eight options into seven places but the under-pressure opener retained his position, alongside Ben Duckett, for a Test that gets under way on June 1 and acts as a tune-up for five much-awaited contests against Australia.

Jofra Archer’s injury nightmare has taken another turn for the worse after he was ruled out for the entirety of England’s Ashes summer with a fresh stress fracture in his troublesome right elbow.

Archer has not played Test cricket for more than two years but had hoped to make his return against Australia after a long and arduous journey that has included several bouts of surgery on his elbow, as well as a stress fracture in the back which derailed his planned comeback last year.

There must be now be grave doubts as to whether the 28-year-old will ever again be available for the rigours of the five-day format.

He made his first tentative steps towards full recovery earlier this year, featuring in England’s limited-overs tours to South Africa and Bangladesh, but his body has once again broken down following a stint in the Indian Premier League.

Archer appeared just five times for Mumbai Indians, bowling 20 overs in total, and made a mid-tournament visit to Belgium for treatment on his elbow.

He reacted angrily on social media to reports of that trip and managed to bowl at express pace after returning to the IPL, but he was on his way home soon afterwards and England’s worst fears have now been realised.

He was seen as a key figure in ruffling Australian feathers, as he did during his Test debut at Lord’s in 2019 when an unforgettable duel with Steve Smith left the batter concussed by an unplayable bouncer.

A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board read: “Sussex fast bowler Jofra Archer has been ruled out for the rest of the summer after recent scans revealed he has sustained a recurrence of a stress fracture to his right elbow. He will now spend time with the England and Sussex medical teams, who will work on his injury management.”

"I’m sure we will see Jofra back to his best and winning games for England, whatever the format. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.”