A big blow for England as the news came in that Jos Buttler will miss the remaining matches against Sri Lanka due to a small tear in his right calf.
Jos Buttler felt the tightness and discomfort after the first T20 match against Sri Lanka in which he played a dominant role of 68* in England’s eight-wicket victory while chasing 130.
After the match, he felt something wrong in his calf and a subsequent MRI highlighted the damage.
His appearance in the 1st T20 against Sri Lanka on Wednesday was his first International appearance after three months before he was rested along with the players who had just arrived from the Indian Premier League just before the Test series against New Zealand in June.
He is now advised to take a rest and put on the sidelines from Saturday’s final T20 at Ageas Bowl, England vice-captain has also been ruled out from the ODI series against Sri Lanka.
“Jos Buttler has been ruled out of the remainder of England Men’s Vitality IT20s and Royal London ODIs against Sri Lanka after sustaining a right calf injury in England’s first IT20 victory at Sophia Gardens on Wednesday,”
an England and Wales Cricket Board statement said.
“He underwent an MRI scan in Cardiff on Thursday morning, which revealed a small tear. Buttler felt tightness and discomfort at the end of the game after a match-winning 68 not out secured an eight-wicket win.
“He will return home (on Friday) and commence his rehabilitation program.”
The wicket-keeper batsman has not played the 2nd T20 against Sri Lanka on Thursday Sam Billings coming as a replacement and Jonny Bairstow moved to the top order and took wicket-keeping responsibility from Buttler.
England clinched the 3 match T20 series by 2-0 after beating Sri Lanka by 5 wickets and 11 balls to spare in the penultimate encounter at Cardiff.
Dawid Malan has been added as a replacement for Jos Buttler in the final T20 and the 50 over fixtures against Sri Lanka.
Buttler’s injury puts a question mark on his inclusion in the three-match T20 and ODI series against Pakistan, starting from July 8.