England’s white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, will not feature in the upcoming One Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies, after suffering a fresh setback in his recovery from a calf injury. This comes after initial reports had confirmed Buttler’s return, following a long lay-off, to lead England in the three-match ODI series, which kicks off in Antigua on October 31.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) issued a statement on Monday, confirming that Buttler experienced “a minor setback” in his rehabilitation process, ruling him out of the ODI series. However, the wicketkeeper-batsman is expected to rejoin the squad in Barbados ahead of the five-match T20 series starting on November 9.
In light of Buttler’s absence, uncapped Essex player Michael Pepper has been called up to the ODI squad. Lancashire all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who will captain the side for the first time, steps up to lead England in the series.
Buttler’s latest injury update follows a period of inactivity for the 34-year-old, who missed England’s recent T20 and ODI series against Australia due to the same calf injury. England drew the T20 series 1-1 and narrowly lost the ODI series 3-2 against the reigning world champions.
A key figure in England’s white-ball setup, Buttler played a pivotal role in England’s 2019 World Cup triumph and is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous white-ball batsmen in the world. However, he has not taken to the field since England’s disappointing run in the 2024 T20 World Cup, held in the United States and West Indies, where they failed to defend their title.
