Jofra Archer’s unauthorised trip home between England’s first and second Tests against West Indies could have cost the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) “tens of millions”, according to Ashley Giles.
It was confirmed on Thursday before the second Test between England and the Windies that Archer had been excluded after breaking coronavirus protocols.
The three-match series is currently taking place at bio-secure stadiums to try and prevent anyone from either team coming into contact with COVID-19, and the players had been ordered to travel directly from Southampton to Manchester following the conclusion of the first Test.
However, Archer ignored those directives and went home to Brighton to visit an unnamed person before arriving in Manchester, where he is now undergoing a five-day period of self-isolation.
Though the person Archer met has since tested negative for coronavirus, England’s managing director Giles stressed the ramifications of his actions could have been enormous for the ECB’s financial health ahead of another Test series with Pakistan.
“This could have been a disaster,” Giles said.
“A small act, the ripple effect this could have had through the whole summer could have cost us tens of millions of pounds.
“Hopefully we can look back on it and Jofra can learn from it, and he will learn from it, I’m sure.
“The potential knock-on effect I don’t think he could have understood. I think we made it very clear what we expected and what the protocols mean but maybe he didn’t quite understand what the consequences could be.”
Giles would not comment on whether Archer will be under consideration to return for the third Test but revealed the 25-year-old will be the subject of an internal disciplinary process.
“We trust these men, whether they’re old or not, to make the right decisions,” he added.
“If you know what the protocols say and what’s expected of you, it’s a simple choice. I don’t think we can cover every eventuality in or out of the bubble for people making wrong decisions.
“Show me someone who says they’ve never had a mistake and I’ll show you a liar. We’ve all made mistakes in our lives and Jofra’s a young man. He will learn from it, we will support him through it and he’ll move on.” (Sportsmax)
