Pakistan and England will lock horns in the first T20I on September 20.
England’s limited-overs captain Jos Buttler could have hinted at missing a major part of the upcoming seven-match T20I series on the historic tour of Pakistan due to a calf injury.
The England cricket team arrived in Pakistan on Thursday (September 14) after 17 years to play a T20I series, which is crucial for both teams in terms of the final touch in their preparations for the T20 World Cup 2022.
However, ahead of the historic series, England suffered a major blow, as Buttler is unlikely to play in the T20I series against Pakistan, starting on September 20 in Karachi.
As per a report in Daily Mail, Buttler had been advised by his medical team to take things slowly, which means he could miss the entire T20I series against Pakistan, but he hopes to get to play in at least the final two matches in Pakistan. In his absence, Moeen Ali will lead the England side.
Jos Buttler said at the press conference: “Speaking to the physios, it is an injury that is not bad, but one that has a risk of recurrence. You don’t want to push it too soon, especially with what we have ahead," Buttler was quoted as saying.”
The skipper continued, “We have warm-up games in Australia (ahead of the T20 World Cup) so there is no desperate need to get as fit as possible. We’ve just got to take it as it comes. If I was available for the last couple (of games), that would be the best-case scenario at the minute. It might come earlier than that, it might not at all, but the picture will become clearer in a week or so.”
He signed off by saying, “As captain, coming back to Pakistan after a long time, I felt like it was important, whether I played the games or not.”
(With IANS Inputs)