(Reuters) -England head coach Brendon McCullum aims to revitalise white-ball captain Jos Buttler, who will miss this month’s three-match Twenty20 series against Australia due to a right calf injury.
Opener Phil Salt will lead the side in Buttler’s absence, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Thursday.
Buttler, who also missed The Hundred, has been named in the squad for the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series against the same opponents later this month but remains a doubt, the ECB added.
Allrounder Jamie Overton, who made his test debut in 2022, has been called up to replace Buttler in the T20 squad. Uncapped Jordan Cox has also been included in the ODI squad as cover after his earlier call up to the T20 squad.
McCullum, who took an additional charge of the country’s limited-overs sides along with existing test duties, said his aim is to lift Buttler’s spirits and revamp the white-ball side once he begins his new job in January next year.
“He’s been a little bit miserable at times. I think he’s not naturally as expressive as what some may be,” McCullum told a news conference on Thursday.
“He won a (T20) World Cup as captain. He’s been part of World Cup-winning teams previously as well. He’s an incredibly gifted player. He’s a fine leader.
“My job is to get the best out of him so that all those that sit in the dressing room feel like they can be 10 foot tall and bulletproof when they walk out to play.
“They know that the skipper is going to give them that extra pat on the back and enjoy the ride with them.”
The T20 series will be played between Sept. 11-15 with the ODI series taking place from Sept. 19-29.
England T20 Squad:
Phil Salt, Jofra Archer Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, John Turner.
England ODI Squad:
Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Reece Topley, John Turner.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha and Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Pritha Sarkar)
