Archer calls out critics after getting all-clear to return

Jofra Archer has been cleared to return to the England camp after his biosecure bubble breach, but admitted he has struggled to find motivation and lashed out at the attention his transgression has received.

Archer was ruled out of the second Test against the West Indies on the morning of the match after it was revealed he had breached England's strict biosecurity protocols by travelling to his home between the first and second Tests.

"We knew we had to go to Manchester via certain points. I didn't. To me, home is home. A safe place. I picked some stuff up, dropped some stuff off. It was no big deal," Archer wrote in his column with UK tabloid The Daily Mail.

Archer spent five days in isolation – allowed out of his hotel room only for solitary fitness sessions – but has rejoined the squad after twice testing negative for COVID-19.

"This whole week has been extremely tough and to spend five days in isolation has given me a lot of thinking time on where I am at.

"To be stuck in a hotel room in Manchester was hard. You know you cannot focus on the game being played on the other side of the bedroom curtains and it was frustrating not being able make an impact on the field.

"I found I was struggling for motivation in the circumstances when it came to returning to bowling in the nets.

"When I walked outside of my room for the first time since being placed into self-isolation … I heard the cameras clicking with every single step I took.

"The whole spectacle made me feel uneasy … I haven't committed a crime and I want to start feeling myself again."

Archer's comments come as England head coach Chris Silverwood ponders a selection headache for the deciding Test against the West Indies.

England levelled the three-Test series 1-1 with their 113-run win at Old Trafford, with the third Test to be played at the same venue starting Friday night – again streamed live and free on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, including Apple TV.

Silverwood now has a fully fit contingent of fast bowlers to choose from for the deciding Test, with Archer seen as a likely starter, creating a squeeze again between Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, while Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran have all staked claims over the two Tests.

"It's never easy, and you're always going to get push back, but you try to be as honest as possible," Silverwood said.

"They are good conversations, a great headache to have. When you're leaving out world-class players, from my point of view it's a very good place for English cricket to be."

Ben Stokes' player-of-the-match performance in the second Test underlined his value to the squad but Silverwood hinted England would still consider resting their star allrounder in a hectic schedule with three Tests against Pakistan and white-ball matches against Ireland, Pakistan and Australia still to come.

"We want him out there as much as we can – everyone can see how good he is.

"But you know what, we're going to consider it (resting him)," Silverwood said.

"The stats don't lie. He's passing milestones, he's making records for himself, which is great.

"He's on the crest of a wave at the moment so we've got to make sure he stays there and support him the best we can."

Meanwhile, Moeen Ali was named England's white-ball deputy captain as he and Jonny Bairstow were the standout performers in an intra-squad match at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.

Given the schedule crunch caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, England have separate Test and limited-overs squads this season, and will play the opening ODI against Ireland the day after the scheduled fifth day of the third Test against the West Indies.

Moeen ended a self-imposed exile from Test cricket earlier this year but he and Bairstow were deemed surplus to requirements for the Test squad, instead included in England's 24-player white ball training group.

"Once I was left out (of the Test squad), my focus changed on the white-ball stuff," the 33-year-old Moeen told the PA news agency.

"I haven't thought about it too much, I was left out so then my focus turned fully on white-ball and trying to win the series."

Bairstow hit 127 from 88 balls while Moeen added 85 from 45 in the intra-squad clash.

"You always need to play a couple of practice games before a series. It was nice to get back out and get back into the swing of things," Moeen said.

"It was just nice to spend some time in the middle. The wicket was fantastic, it was just nice to play a few shots towards the back end and try to enjoy myself.

"It was nice to get some overs in. I feel like I've been bowling quite well so to get a few wickets was great."

With Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Stokes all part of England's Test plans for the ODIs against Ireland, Moeen was given added responsibility by acting head coach Paul Collingwood.

"To have that status and be valued like that from Morgy (Eoin Morgan) and Colly, for them to give me that opportunity is amazing for myself," he said.

"I'm really pleased and I can always say one day that I was vice-captain for England, which is great.

"I'll just do it how I feel. I know there's no Jos, Rooty or Stokesy but I've done it for my county so I'm sure Morgy will trust me to do what I want."