Jos Buttler is reportedly set to make his long-awaited return to action in the T20 Blast quarter-finals. The England captain has not played a competitive match since his side’s T20 World Cup semi-final defeat against eventual champions India in June.
While Jos Buttler was fit to play in the Hundred, he was ruled out due to a calf injury. He had picked up the injury while preparing for the Hundred. He was due to play for the Manchester Originals in the second edition of the tournament.
After missing the entire tournament, the wicket-keeper-batsman looks set to return to action for Lancashire when they take on Sussex in the second T20 Blast quarter-final on September 4. The T20 Blast qualifiers will begin on September 3.
Buttler is now back in training and has been working with England physio Craig de Weymarn. He recently posted a picture of his training session on Instagram with the caption: “Another good session on the bench.” In another Instagram post, he wrote: “Suffering injuries as a professional athlete is always frustrating and I felt terrible about missing out on a century this year.”
Jos Buttler to play for Lancashire:
Jos Buttler has not played for Lancashire this year but could play his first match for them next month. His participation in the quarter-final clash will be subject to a fitness test. Lancashire coach Dale Benkenstein has provided an update on Buttler, saying that Buttler is keen to play and that the team management will wait until the last moment to make a decision on the England star.
“This is looking very positive. We should have everyone fit for the quarter-finals. Jos has been doing a lot of rehab. I’ve been in touch with him and he’s raring to go. We’re happy to leave it to the final day,” Benkenstein told ESPNcricinfo on Sunday.
“He will undergo a fitness test on Monday, just before the game, and with the approval of the physios in England and around the world, he will be able to play. We are very keen that, if he is fit and ready to play, he will be able to play,” he added.
After the T20 Blast, Buttler will be back in action for England during the upcoming T20I series against Australia. Meanwhile, Lancashire are also likely to have the likes of Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone available for the quarter-finals. Both Mahmood and Salt were rested for the Championship match against Surrey this week.
