Harry Brook will captain England for the first time during their five-match ODI series against Australia, with Jos Buttler ruled out for the rest of the summer with a calf injury sustained in July. Buttler’s injury has also given a lifeline to Liam Livingstone, who has been recalled to the 50-over side after initially being left out.
Brook has been groomed as a future England captain for many years, having captained at the Under-19 World Cup in 2018. He deputised as Yorkshire captain for four matches in the T20 Blast in 2022 and led Northern Superchargers in the Hundred this year, winning five out of the six completed matches he oversaw as they narrowly missed out on the knockout stages.
He was also Ollie Pope’s vice-captain throughout England’s recent 2-1 Test series win over Sri Lanka, with the team’s management keen to develop long-term leadership options. Phil Salt has captained in the ongoing T20I series, which is level at 1-1 ahead of Sunday afternoon’s rain-threatened decider in Manchester.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity for Brooky to be the captain,” Buttler said. “He is a pretty laid-back character, but I think he has everything in line. He is a really good thinker about it… I’m sure he’ll do that his own way, and he’ll get a feel for those moments [in games]. That’s what we’re encouraging everyone as a side – whether that’s a player or a captain – is to try and identify those moments that you think can go a long way to you winning the game and going for it and committing to it.”
But Buttler’s prolonged absence is cause for concern, given his recent history of calf issues. He missed most of a series against Sri Lanka in 2021 due to a tear, and was ruled out of England’s seven-match T20I tour to Pakistan the following year with a strain which briefly threatened his participation in the 2022 World Cup.
He has not played any cricket since England’s elimination from June’s T20 World Cup, when they were beaten by India in the semi-finals: he initially targeted a return in the T20 Blast quarter-finals, but suffered a setback in his rehabilitation while running. Buttler has been with England’s squad throughout this week’s T20I series against Australia and will target a return on November’s Caribbean tour.
“It’s a bit slower than hoped,” Buttler said of his recovery. “I’m going to be missing the ODI series as well, so that’s a shame. But at my age, just got to make sure I get it right. It’s obviously a shame to miss some cricket and stuff, but I just want to get it right. There’s lots to look forward to in the future.
“Injuries force you to stop and take a different perspective and it’s nice to be around the guys, getting to know some new faces and seeing what they’re all about; trying to share my ideas and listen to theirs and how they operate and building those relationships, which are obviously really important.”
Buttler also confirmed that he would not have kept wicket if he had been fit for the T20Is, after discussions with England’s incoming coach Brendon McCullum. “Having spoken to Baz about it, he stumbled across it with injury preventing him from keeping wicket, but then he really enjoyed being next to the bowler at mid-off,” Buttler explained.
“I’ll see how the calf holds up to running around in the outfield, or we might have a slip in for a long time,” he joked. “But, yeah, I’m very open to those kind of things. I just want what’s best for the team: what’s best for the team is going to be me being the best captain I can be, and if I have to move from behind the wickets to do that then so be it.”
Livingstone’s return to the squad comes after his impressive performances in the first two T20Is. He has taken five wickets in six overs with his leg breaks and hit 87 off 47 to win Friday night’s game in Cardiff. He admitted on Wednesday night that he was nonplussed by his initial absence from the ODI squad, after top-scoring in England’s defeat at the Utilita Bowl.
England have also confirmed that Josh Hull will play no part in the ODI series, after sustaining a minor quad injury on Test debut at The Oval last week. A team spokesperson suggested that his absence is only precautionary, and that his participation in October’s three-match Test tour to Pakistan is not under threat.
The five-match ODI series starts at Trent Bridge on Thursday and runs until September 29.
England ODI squad: Harry Brook (capt), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, John Turner.
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
