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More injury woe for England limited-overs skipper Jos Buttler

david charlesworth, pa cricket reporter
·2-min read

England captain Jos Buttler has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against West Indies after another hitch in his recovery from a calf injury.

Liam Livingstone will step in to lead the tourists in the three-match series, which starts in Antigua a week on Thursday, as Buttler’s absence extends into the beginning of England’s winter programme.

Uncapped Essex wicketkeeper-batter Michael Pepper, who amassed 535 runs at a strike-rate of 193.84 in this year’s Vitality Blast, has been named as Buttler’s replacement in the ODI squad.

Buttler, who has not played competitively since England’s T20 World Cup semi-final at the end of June, was unavailable for Australia’s white-ball tour last month because of a niggling right calf problem.

The England and Wales Cricket Board revealed Buttler has had a “slight setback in his rehabilitation” but the 34-year-old will join the side ahead of five T20s that follow the ODIs in the Caribbean.

This is, however, the third time he has postponed his return. Having been forced out of The Hundred, Buttler was expected to come back for the T20s then the ODIs against Australia only to miss both.

Liam Livingstone bats for England
Liam Livingstone will captain England in their ODI series against West Indies, which starts next week (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Buttler’s third calf complaint in four years meant he took up a watching brief in the dressing room as leadership opportunities were handed to Phil Salt in three T20s and Harry Brook in five ODIs.

With Brook unavailable to face the Windies due to his involvement in the Pakistan Test tour, England have turned to all-rounder Livingstone to plug the captaincy vacancy.

The appointment represents a stunning turnaround for Livingstone, who was axed from the ODI set-up ahead of Australia’s visit only to replace the injured Buttler after starring in the drawn T20 series.

Jos Buttler during England training
Jos Buttler has had three calf injuries in four years (John Walton/PA)

The 31-year-old vindicated his return in the penultimate ODI with a blistering 62 not out off 27 balls, equalling the record for the fastest fifty in the format at Lord’s, although he made a duck as England lost the decider.

Livingstone has previously captained Lancashire in the T20 Blast and Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred and he is now set for his first experience of leading England.