Jos Buttler has been sidelined from Lancashire's T20 Blast quarter-final due to a setback in his recovery from a calf injury, putting his availability for England's T20I series against Australia in doubt.
Despite the injury concerns, England remains optimistic that Buttler will be fit to lead the team in the upcoming series, which begins on September 11. The squad is set to gather at the Utilita Bowl on Sunday for two training sessions, during which the medical staff will assess Buttler’s condition to determine if he can participate.
England’s white-ball teams currently do not have an official vice-captain, though Sam Curran and Phil Salt are likely candidates to step in if Buttler is unable to play. Even though Buttler is not expected to keep wicket during the series, the possibility of him featuring in the matches still exists, despite this latest setback. He has been out of action since England’s semi-final loss to India in the T20 World Cup in June. A calf injury sustained in July, while preparing for The Hundred, ruled him out of that tournament, and his sights were set on making a comeback in Wednesday’s quarter-final at Hove after weeks of rehabilitation.
However, Lancashire’s coach Dale Benkenstein confirmed to BBC Radio Lancashire that Buttler would not be fit to play. Benkenstein revealed that Buttler had experienced a setback in his recovery, stating, "Unfortunately, he’s re-injured himself and is now not only out of our T20s, but he’s also in doubt for the international matches. He was very eager to play for us."
Despite Buttler's absence, Lancashire will still have their other England stars available for the quarter-final at Hove, with Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Saqib Mahmood all set to participate. Meanwhile, Jofra Archer is expected to play for Sussex, whose T20 team is led by Tymal Mills. This quarter-final will be the first hosted at Hove in front of a crowd since 2019, with tickets having sold out for the past two weeks.