Buttler ruled out of Australia T20 series, Salt to lead England

ENGLAND captain Jos Buttler has been ruled out of the upcoming Twenty20 series against Australia due to a calf injury, with Phil Salt stepping up to captain the side.

Buttler, 33, has not played since the T20 World Cup in June and recently experienced a setback in his recovery, extending his absence from the field.

Phil Salt, who filled in for Buttler during the Hundred tournament for Manchester Originals, will lead England for the first time in the T20 series opener in Southampton on September 11. The series will then move to Cardiff and Old Trafford.

In recent months, England have had to manage the captaincy across different formats. Ollie Pope has led the Test team against Sri Lanka while regular captain Ben Stokes recovers from a torn hamstring. Harry Brook, Pope's vice-captain, is expected to lead the one-day internationals against Australia if Buttler remains unavailable.

The five-match ODI series will start at Trent Bridge on September 19.

To cover Buttler’s absence, Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton has been added to the T20 squad, and Jordan Cox will serve as cover for the ODI series.

Marcus Trescothick will act as interim head coach for the T20 series against Australia, with Brendon McCullum set to take over all formats in the new year.

(With inputs from AFP)