Jos Buttler ruled out of England's T20I series against Australia, Phil Salt takes over as the skipper

England has suffered a massive blow right ahead of the home series against Australia. England's captain, Jos Buttler, has been officially ruled out of the forthcoming T20I series against Australia. The skipper picked up an injury to his right calf while preparing for The Hundred this year. Effectively, the 2024 T20 World Cup still remains as the last tournament Buttler has played. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), subsequently, confirmed on Thursday that the English skipper has now been ruled out of the T20I series against the Kangaroos too. Additionally, Buttler's participation in the subsequent five-match ODI series later this month remains uncertain.

Jos Buttler set to miss the T20I series against Australia as Phil Salt turns the captain

As a result of the absence of Jos Buttler, Phil Salt has been appointed as the interim captain for the series. Buttler sustained the injury just before the start of The Hundred tournament, which consequently sidelined him from the competition. Despite hopes that he would recover in time to participate in the white-ball series against Australia, the persistent nature of his injury now raises concerns that he may miss the entirety of the English summer cricket season. Buttler has not been in action since England's semi-final exit at the 2024 T20 World Cup in late June.

Buttler's injury has, moreover, made way for all-rounder Jamie Overton into the T20I squad as a replacement. However, Overton's role may be limited to that of a specialist batter while he continues his recovery from a back stress injury. Additionally, Jordan Cox, who is currently involved with the England Test squad for the red-ball series against Sri Lanka, has been added to the ODI squad as cover.

It is also noteworthy that this injury represents Buttler's third calf problem in the past four years. As he approaches his 34th birthday this Sunday, there is growing speculation about whether he might need to reconsider his wicket keeping duties to extend his career and maintain his effectiveness as a captain and international player. 

England T20I squad for the series against Australia: Phil Salt (C), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, John Turner

England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (C), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Reece Topley, John Turner