England’s preparations for the upcoming 50‑over World Cup will have to continue without the services of Jos Buttler, who has been ruled out of the white‑ball series in Pakistan. The former captain suffered a hamstring strain while batting against Sri Lanka at Headingley last week. Although he initially retired hurt, Buttler attempted to resume his innings, clearly hampered by the injury, before finally departing the crease.
He missed the decisive match of the three‑match series at the Kia Oval, a game England won comfortably by 223 runs, and medical assessments have now confirmed that he will also miss the tri‑nation 50‑over tournament scheduled for next month. The loss of Buttler, arguably England’s most prolific limited‑overs batsman, leaves a significant gap as the side looks to assemble a squad capable of challenging for major honours in the southern African summer and beyond. There is still no certainty that the 36‑year‑old will be fit for the subsequent tour of Australia in November. Limited‑overs coach Brendon McCullum confirmed the situation, saying, “Jos won’t be in Pakistan.
We know he’s an incredible athlete, supremely fit and ultra‑professional, so he’ll do everything he can to get back as soon as possible, but it’s hard to judge how long that will be.” He added that while the news is disappointing, it also provides an opportunity to assess the depth of the squad: “Between now and 14 months’ time lots of things will go wrong, there’ll be lots of selections you think will happen and someone will get injured, or there’ll be a scheduling issue. You almost have to catastrophise these things a little to prepare yourself for that World Cup.” In the short term, the vacancy behind the stumps opens the door for Jordan Cox, who returned to the ODI side after nearly two years away.
Cox impressed on his comeback against Sri Lanka, finishing with a fluent 76 in the death overs – a knock that McCullum likened to a typical Buttler innings. “Cox will definitely get the opportunity in Pakistan.
He’s done really well domestically for a number of years and he’s been unlucky with injuries when he’s been on the cusp previously. He’s deserved it. He’s very well liked in our dressing room and he seems to be one of those guys who is good at whatever he does, which can be incredibly annoying.
He’s a good lad with a huge amount of runway in front of him in his career,” the coach said. England are expected to finalise their Pakistan squad within the next 24 hours.
Sam Curran is pushing for a recall after recovering from a groin issue, while Adil Rashid is undergoing further checks on his bowling hand. Jacob Bethell remains sidelined with a knee injury, adding further complexity to selection decisions. For McCullum, the immediate focus shifts to a brief period of rest after a roller‑coaster summer.
Having retained his role as England’s all‑format head coach following a challenging Ashes campaign, he has demonstrated a willingness to adapt, strengthening his backroom staff and introducing a more rigorous training regime. Although he was removed from the Test coaching role after Ben Stokes’ retirement and the series loss to New Zealand, he now heads a white‑ball unit that has won 11 of its last 13 matches. McCullum’s current challenge is to transform England into “the fittest, fastest, most dynamic and robust cricket team out there.” He has also outlined plans to enrich the touring schedule with additional warm‑up fixtures, a departure from the earlier approach of scrapping such matches during his tenure with the red‑ball side.
This strategy aims to give players more exposure to varied conditions ahead of major tournaments. Reflecting on a season of change and looking ahead to his partnership with new Test head coach Stephen Fleming, McCullum said, “It’s been eventful. I genuinely feel right now, at the end of the summer, English cricket is certainly in a really good place.
I loved coaching all three formats. The four years I had as Test coach were one of the most enjoyable periods of my time in cricket. But things move on, times change. I think Stephen will do an unbelievable job with the Test side.
Overall, it’s no bad thing that it sits the way it sits now.” The absence of Buttler inevitably forces England to explore alternative options and to give emerging talent a chance to prove themselves on the international stage. While the injury is a setback, it also serves as a catalyst for the squad to develop resilience and depth, qualities that will be essential as they aim for success in the forthcoming World Cup and the demanding tours that lie ahead.