Jos Buttler, the England cricket team’s captain, has been ruled out of Lancashire’s T20 Blast quarter-final due to a setback in his recovery from a calf injury. This development raises concerns about his fitness for the upcoming T20I series against Australia, scheduled to begin on September 11.
Injury Setback
Buttler’s injury woes began in July while he was preparing for the Hundred, which ultimately sidelined him for that tournament. He had been targeting a return for the T20 Blast quarter-final at Hove, but Lancashire’s coach Dale Benkenstein confirmed that Buttler has “tweaked” his injury during rehabilitation. “We’ve had some bad news on his recovery,” Benkenstein stated. “He was very keen to play for us, but he’s not only out of our T20s, but I think he’s even struggling to make the international ones.”
Despite the setback, England‘s management remains cautiously optimistic about Buttler’s availability for the T20I series against Australia. The first match of the eight-match white-ball tour is set to take place shortly after the quarter-final, and the team is hopeful that he will recover in time to lead the squad. England’s new-look team is due to report to the Utilita Bowl for training, where medical staff will assess Buttler’s condition.
Leadership Contingency Plans
With Buttler’s absence, England does not have an official vice-captain in their white-ball format. Sam Curran and Phil Salt are the primary candidates to step in as captain should Buttler remain unfit. Notably, Buttler is not expected to keep wicket during the T20I series, which could increase his chances of participating, as this would allow him to focus on batting without the added strain of wicketkeeping.
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Lancashire will still have other England internationals available for the quarter-final, including Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Saqib Mahmood. The match against Sussex is particularly significant, as it marks the first T20 quarter-final at Hove in front of a crowd since 2019, with tickets sold out weeks in advance. The absence of Buttler, however, is a considerable loss for Lancashire, who are looking to salvage their season after a challenging campaign.
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