England’s White-Ball Captain Eyes T20 Blast Comeback After Calf Injury
Jos Buttler, England’s white-ball captain, is targeting a return to action in Lancashire’s T20 Blast quarter-final against Sussex on September 4. Buttler has been sidelined since the T20 World Cup due to a calf injury sustained while preparing for the Hundred competition.
Buttler, who has been backed to continue as England’s white-ball captain by managing director Rob Key, will work alongside interim coach Marcus Trescothick during the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Australia in September. The England physio, Craig de Weymarn, has been overseeing Buttler’s rehabilitation in Bristol, and the captain has been sharing updates on his progress on social media.
“We’ll wait until the last minute to make a decision based on a fitness test.” – Dale Benkenstein, Lancashire coach
Lancashire coach Dale Benkenstein is cautiously optimistic about Buttler’s participation in the quarter-final, stating that the team will wait until the last minute to make a decision based on a fitness test. Benkenstein acknowledged that the team’s County Championship form has been challenging, but they are hoping for a strong finish in the T20 Blast to salvage their season.
Saqib Mahmood and Phil Salt, two other key players for Lancashire, have also been managing injuries, with Mahmood not risked in a recent match and Salt unlikely to feature against Hampshire due to a “dodgy back.”
Despite the injury concerns, Lancashire remain hopeful of reaching the T20 Blast Finals Day on September 14, which would conflict with England’s T20I series against Australia. Buttler and other players named in the England T20 squad will not be available for the Finals Day, but the team is determined to make the most of their opportunity to compete for the trophy.
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