Jofra Archer has been ruled out of England’s tour of West Indies after he underwent a second elbow operation, the ECB confirmed on Tuesday. The pacer will be out of action until next summer.

Archer, who has not played international cricket in nine months, missed England’s high-octane tour of India and then the T20 World Cup. “A return to cricket will be determined in time, but Jofra will not be available for any of England’s remaining Winter series,” the ECB said. 

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The 26-year-old underwent his second operation on December 11 in London, the board confirmed. 

Archer had a recurring stress fracture in his right elbow and was first operated in May this year. His issues first surfaced at the start of 2020 when he pulled out of the New Year’s Test in Cape Town. The speedster played only two out of the four Tests in India before flying home. He then missed the Indian Premier League. 

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After missing out on the West Indies series, Archer would set his sights on England’s domestic campaign in 2022.

Meanwhile, an Archer-less England are taking the beating in the ongoing Ashes against Australia. Joe Root’s men are 2-0 down after a 275-run loss at Adelaide. Jofra Archer was expected to play a key role in England’s campaign but his fitness issues kept him out. 

The bowler had led the English to a World Cup in 2019. He made his Test debut against Australia in the Ashes last year. 

England’s tour of West Indies starts in Antigua on March 8. 

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Archer was also released by the Rajasthan Royals and is expected to attract big bucks in the 2022 IPL auctions. 

Speaking to Fox Sports recently he said, “I do miss being in the team setup and I hope that when I’m fit and ready I can get my spot back. But other than that, honestly, [the break] has been really good. The coaches and players all check in with me. I know I’m not forgotten and I’ve just probably been dealt an unlucky hand and I’m dealing with it.”