England white ball skipper Jos Buttler is expected to make a return in the last few matches of the ongoing T20I series against Pakistan. The wicketkeeper batter is still recovering from a calf injury he sustained while playing in the Hundred. He was last seen playing international cricket against South Africa in a T20I at Southampton in July.
England’s white ball coach Matthew Mott said that he didn’t want to take any risk with the captain before the 20-20 World Cup. Buttler has not played in the ongoing seven-match T20I series against Pakistan. All-rounder Moeen Ali led the English side in the absence of skipper Jos Buttler. The visitors have fared well in the ongoing series with both these teams winning two of the four T20I games.
Speaking at the press conference after the fourth T20I, Mott said that he had suffered an injury and that they do not want to risk him at this stage so close to the 20-20 World Cup. He admitted that they expect Buttler to return to the team for the final few games against Pakistan.
“With regard to Jos, he’s still a while off, he’s not a player we want to take a risk on at tjhis stage, so close to the World Cup, and it was a reasonably significant injury that he had,” Mott said at the press conference following Pakistan’s series-levelling victory in the fourth T20I.
“So, he’s champing at the bit for a game, but we’ll just try and see how we go and maybe in the last game or two we might give him a chance,” added Mott.
So far, the series has been very competitive. Liam Dawson almost pulled it off for England in the fourth T20I chasing a target of 167 runs. He scored a crucial 17-ball 34 in England’s recovery from 130/7 to 162 but Haris Rauf took two crucial wickets to turn the match in Pakistan’s favour.
“Taking wickets in the powerplay put us on the back foot, it took a really good partnership to get us back in it,” Mott said. “Liam’s knock was special. It took everyone by surprise, we didn’t think in our wildest dreams we’d get in that position. It just shows in T20 cricket you’ve never got it done.”
