Jos Buttler 'frustrated' after being ruled out of Australia T20Is
England's white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Australia due to a calf injury. This is not the first time that the 33-year-old cricketer has faced health issues. He was also unable to participate in The Hundred 2024 because of this persistent injury. His availability for the ODI series against Australia remains uncertain at this point.
Buttler expresses frustration over injury setback
Buttler expressed his disappointment over the injury setback on Instagram. He wrote, "Frustrating to have a setback with the injury but working hard to get it right." The last match he played was at the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, where England were eliminated by eventual champions India in the semi-finals. Despite this, he emerged as England's highest run-scorer in that tournament with 214 runs across seven innings.
Phil Salt to lead England in Buttler's absence
In Buttler's absence, Phil Salt has been chosen to lead England for the T20I series against Australia. Salt's only prior experience as a captain was when he stepped in for Buttler as the leader of Manchester Originals during The Hundred. All-rounder Jamie Overton has been named as Buttler's replacement in the squad, which will be under the temporary coaching of former opener Marcus Trescothick.
England's T20I squad and coaching changes
The T20I series between England and Australia is set to commence on September 11, with the third T20I scheduled for September 15. Brendon McCullum, who was recently appointed as England's Test head coach, has also been named the white-ball coach. However, he is not expected to assume his new role until 2025. Despite Buttler's injury setback, there remains optimism about his potential return for the upcoming ODI series against Australia.
