England captain Ben Stokes has leapt to the defence of Jofra Archer, insisting the fast bowler is "committed" to the national team despite his absence for the start of the Test series against New Zealand.
Archer will miss the first Test at Lord's, starting on Thursday, because he has been playing in the Indian Premier League with Rajasthan Royals, who reached the playoffs and were beaten by Gujarat Titans last week.
On Tuesday, England coach Brendon McCullum also cast doubt on Archer's availability for the second Test, which starts on June 17, saying he is having "a little bit of a break at the moment" and needs to be assessed.
Archer has faced criticism from some pundits and former players for not prioritising England, with whom he has a central contract.
