England captain Jos Buttler has withdrawn from Lancashire's T20 Blast quarter-final due to a setback in his recovery from a calf injury, raising concerns about his fitness for the upcoming T20I series against Australia.
Buttler, who has not played since England's semi-final loss to India at the T20 World Cup in June, was set to return in Lancashire's match at Hove. However, he has experienced another issue with his calf, which has also put his availability for the T20Is in question. England are optimistic about his chances of leading the team throughout Australia's eight-match white-ball tour, with the first T20I scheduled for September 11. The new-look squad is expected to report to the Utilita Bowl on Sunday for training, which will provide a clearer assessment of Buttler's condition.
In Buttler's potential absence, Sam Curran and Phil Salt are the leading candidates to act as stand-in captain. Although Buttler is unlikely to keep wicket during the series, this might increase his chances of participating despite the recent setback.
Lancashire coach Dale Benkenstein confirmed Buttler's withdrawal, stating on BBC Radio Lancashire, "We've had some bad news on his recovery. He had an injury he was recovering from, and he's tweaked it again. He's not only just out of our T20s but might also struggle to make the international ones. He was very keen to play for us."
Lancashire will still have their other England players, including Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Saqib Mahmood, available for the match. Jofra Archer is expected to play for Sussex, whose T20 side is led by Tymal Mills. Hove has not hosted a T20 quarter-final with a crowd since 2019, and tickets have been sold out for the past two weeks.