England cricketer Jofra Archer, the Barbados-born fast bowler, has been vilified in England for not being part of the recent opening Test between the hosts and England at Lord’s. Archer chose to take a break after representing Rajasthan Royals in the IPL that concluded on May 31. Archer’s absence became a good reason for franchise-before-country talk to resume. 

Public sentiment revolves around country always coming first. But today’s cricket throws up the workload aspect which is also important. This is an age where players can, in many ways, decide for themselves what’s best for them. Meanwhile, the IPL continues to be a target for pundits, especially from England and Australia. They point to players being fit for the IPL but not for their country. The willingness to look beyond this supposed open-and-shut case seems missing.