Jos Buttler's return as England white-ball captain delayed by injury setback

Jos Buttler's long-awaited return as England's white-ball captain has been postponed once again, as he has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI leg of their Caribbean tour due to a persistent calf injury. The 34-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has been sidelined for four months, missing competitive matches since England's semi-final exit in the T20 World Cup against India in June.

Buttler's injury woes have kept him from participating in several key events, including the Manchester Originals' Hundred campaign and the T20I and ODI series against Australia in September.

According to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Buttler has encountered a "slight setback" in his rehabilitation, prompting him to fly directly to Barbados ahead of the five-match T20I series, set to commence on November 9.

With Buttler absent, Liam Livingstone has been appointed as England's ODI captain, marking his debut in this leadership role. Meanwhile, Harry Brook, who served as Buttler's stand-in during the ODIs against Australia, is currently in Rawalpindi preparing for the third Test against Pakistan.

To bolster the squad, Michael Pepper, the Essex wicketkeeper-batter, has been added as cover. The selectors had planned to include two additional players on the tour, contingent upon the team selection for the ongoing Test series. Jordan Cox, who made his white-ball debut against Australia, and leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed are among the potential inclusions.

Although Pepper has limited List A experience, with only seven games under his belt, he showcased his talent as the third-highest run-scorer in the 2024 Vitality Blast and concluded the season strongly with Essex, scoring his first-class hundreds.

Buttler's ongoing absence has sparked discussions regarding his international future. However, Brendon McCullum, England's incoming white-ball coach, has reiterated that Buttler remains integral to the team's plans, acknowledging that he has faced challenges during his recovery.

"He's an incredibly gifted player," McCullum added at his unveiling. "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."

During the Australia series, Buttler was a non-playing presence, but interim white-ball coach Marcus Trescothick expressed confidence in Buttler's ability to reintegrate into the team seamlessly.

"There's no reason why Jos won't fit back into that mould, score millions of runs, captain well and fit back into the team perfectly."

"Let's make it clear," Trescothick said. "He will come straight back in. At what position, I don't know. We'll look at that for the Caribbean."