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England‘s captain in white-ball cricket, Jos Buttler, has rejoined the T20I squad for the forthcoming series against West Indies after an extended absence following the T20 World Cup semi-final loss in June. He arrived in the Caribbean on Sunday and took part in a training session at Kensington Oval on Monday. However, Buttler will not be available for selection in the final ODI on Wednesday and will resume his role as captain ahead of the five-match T20I series that kicks off on Saturday.
Jos Buttler hands over wicketkeeping duties
Although Buttler is back in the lineup, he has chosen not to take on wicketkeeping responsibilities during the T20I series. This decision is significant, considering he has been behind the stumps in 106 out of his last 108 T20 internationals, with the only exceptions occurring during England’s previous tour of the Caribbean in December 2023, where he played in two matches without keeping.
Phil Salt has been assigned the wicketkeeping duties for the series. Salt has kept in 13 of his 59 matches for England across different formats and will assume this role in the current ODI series as well. This decision comes as Jordan Cox steps in for Test keeper Jamie Smith for the upcoming series in New Zealand.
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Reason why Buttler won’t keep wickets
Buttler’s choice not to keep wickets is linked to his recent recovery from a calf injury that kept him out of action for several months. If he had been fit to participate in the T20 series against Australia in September, he would have similarly allocated wicketkeeping duties to Salt, as he expressed a wish to explore various captaincy roles on the field.
Reflecting on this strategy, Buttler had noted, “I was going to give up the gloves and commit to being at mid-off and see how that felt. If it will help me with my captaincy, it is something I am open to.”
England star’s perspective on wicketkeeping
Meanwhile, Salt has expressed his eagerness for the wicketkeeping role, stating, “It’s not something I’ve done a lot for England recently. But I enjoy keeping. I feel like that’s where I offer most to the side.” As the team prepares for the T20I series, Salt’s assurance behind the stumps will be vital as England aims to leverage Buttler’s leadership in the shortest format of the game.
