England will be missing their white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, for the upcoming three-match home T20I series against Australia due to a calf injury. It is uncertain if Buttler will be fit in time for the following five-match ODI series against Australia. The 33-year-old also missed The Hundred 2024 because of the same injury.
Following his exclusion from the Australia T20Is, Buttler posted on Instagram, indicating that he is working diligently to achieve full fitness. The dynamic batter wrote:
“Frustrating to have a setback with the injury but working hard to get it right.”
Buttler last played during the 2024 T20 World Cup, where England’s campaign concluded with a 68-run loss to eventual champions India in the semi-final. He was England’s top run-scorer in the tournament, amassing 214 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 158.51.
Phil Salt will captain England in Jos Buttler’s absence
With Jos Buttler sidelined, England has appointed wicketkeeper Phil Salt as the stand-in captain for the three-match T20I series against Australia. All-rounder Jamie Overton will replace Buttler in the squad.
England will also be under new interim head coach Marcus Trescothick. Although Brendon McCullum, who currently oversees the red-ball team, will eventually take charge of the limited-overs side, his tenure is expected to begin next year.
The T20I series between England and Australia will start in Southampton on September 11, with the second and third matches scheduled for Cardiff on September 13 and Manchester on September 15.
England’s updated squad for Australia T20Is: Phil Salt (C), Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Reece Topley, Sam Curran, Josh Hull, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Adil Rashid, Jamie Overton, and John Turner.
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