Jos Buttler, will not play in the forthcoming One Day International (ODI) series in the Caribbean because of a setback in his recovery from a calf injury. As the England team prepares for important games, the news is a serious setback. The team’s performance will suffer from Buttler’s absence, and it also casts doubt on his fitness for upcoming competitions.
Calf Injury: A Setback For Buttler
Jos Buttler’s long-standing calf strain has forced him to miss next week’s ODI portion of England’s Caribbean tour, delaying his comeback as white-ball skipper by at least three more games. The 34-year-old Buttler has been sidelined by the injury for four months and hasn’t participated in a competitive game since England’s June loss to India in the T20 World Cup semi-final in Guyana.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that further assessments revealed he would need additional time to recover fully. In addition to missing the whole Manchester Originals Hundred campaign, he also pulled out of the September T20I and ODI series against Australia. He has now experienced a “slight setback” in his recuperation, according to the ECB, and will thus take a direct flight to Barbados before the start of the five-match T20I series on November 9.
Team Dynamics Without Buttle
Liam Livingstone has been selected as England’s ODI captain in Buttler’s place. Harry Brook, Buttler’s replacement in the ODIs against Australia, is currently in Rawalpindi getting ready for the third Test match against Pakistan, so this will be his first chance in the position.
Depending on the team selection for the third Test in Rawalpindi, England had always planned to bring two more players to the trip, but they will decide on a substitute player when the time comes. Both leg spinner Rehan Ahmed and England’s spare Test batsman Jordan Cox, who made his white-ball debut against Australia, are set to be included.
Although England’s new white-ball coach, Brendon McCullum, has stated that “he’s been a little bit miserable at times,” Buttler’s prolonged absence will fuel speculation about his future on the international scene.
“He’s an incredibly gifted player,” McCullum had remarked when he was unveiled. “He’s a fine leader. My job is to get the best out of him so that all those that sit in the dressing-room feel like they can be ten-feet tall and bulletproof when they walk out to play, and they know that the skipper is going to give them that extra pat on the back and and enjoy the ride with them.”
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