England cricket team have been handed a major blow at the beginning of their white-ball summer as star wicketkeeper Jos Buttler is set to remain on sidelines for an extended period. The 30-year-old, who suffered a calf injury during the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, will unfortunately have to sit out of England's upcoming white-ball assignments. As a result, Buttler is set to miss the following series— Three ODIs against Sri Lanka (June 29 - July 4), as many ODIs against Pakistan (July 8 - July 13) and equal number of T20Is against the Green Brigade (July 16 - July 20).
England don't want to risk Buttler with a busy calendar
England's white-ball captain Eoin Morgan had also talked about Buttler's injury and admitted that they would not want to risk the wicketkeeper for the upcoming assignments with a busy calendar ahead. Reflecting on the same, he had said, "Calves are sometimes difficult to come back with so we’ll be constantly monitoring that. Certainly, at the moment, it’s not a priority Jos is 100% fit for the white-ball stuff. Given the cricket he has coming up with Tests, a T20 World Cup and a possible Ashes down the line, I think there are other priorities he needs to be fit for.”
Ben Stokes could return for T20Is against Pakistan
With Buttler out, England fans have something to be happy about as their star all-rounder Ben Stokes is set to make a return to the squad for the 3-match T20I series against Pakistan. The 30-year-old has not played for national side since he sustained a fracture on his finger while playing for Rajasthan Royals during IPL 2021. Notably, Stokes has returned to domestic action and has proved his fitness while playing for Durham in the ongoing T20 Blast.