England captain Buttler fit for Australia T20s

AFP / Aamir Qureshi

England captain Jos Buttler has declared himself fit for Sunday's opening Twenty20 International against Australia after recovering from a calf injury.

However, Liam Livingstone's ankle injury makes the all-rounder doubtful for their World Cup opener later this month.

Buttler, recovering from a nagging calf injury, watched from the sidelines as England beat Pakistan 4-3 before flying into Australia, where they play three 20-overs matches against the world champions.

"I'm back to 100 per cent," Buttler told reporters in Perth on Saturday.

"Had a good time in Pakistan rehabbing, probably could have played earlier, but with the World Cup around the corner, it was the right thing to do."

Buttler's return to the playing XI means Alex Hales and Phil Salt would vie with each other for the second opener's slot.

"We have great options at the top of the order with guys in really good form in Pakistan," Buttler said.

"They're both excellent options. Whoever I partner with will have a great go at it."

While England would welcome Buttler back into the squad, concern remains about white-ball star Livingstone's availability for their October 22 World Cup opener against Afghanistan.

"(He) is still a little way off at the minute, so he's building back," Buttler said.

"Hopefully, he'll get back to full fitness before the start of the World Cup."

Buttler also said all-rounder and test captain Ben Stokes would bat higher in their lineup.

"Ben Stokes is someone we want to try to give as much opportunity to impact the game as possible," Buttler said.

"Try to get him up the order as high as we can, give him as much responsibility as possible and allow him to play his way to get the best out of him."

More from Sports News

  • Ireland beat India for first time in international cricket

    Abhishek Sharma's 19-ball fifty went in vain as world champions India were surprisingly beaten by Ireland for the first time in international cricket, slumping to a 34-run defeat in the first Twenty20 in Belfast on Friday.

  • Usyk vacates titles before 'last dance'

    Oleksandr Usyk said on Friday he had vacated his WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight championships to pursue a final fight.

  • England roar back in second test against New Zealand

    England roared back into contention on the second day of the third and deciding test against New Zealand with Ben Duckett's rapid century helping his side to 223-2 after three wickets for returning captain Ben Stokes helped to dismiss the visitors for 438 at a sizzling Trent Bridge.

  • Williams to face Australia's Joint in Wimbledon comeback

    American great Serena Williams will face Australian 20-year-old Maya Joint in the first round of her eagerly awaited return to Wimbledon, a potentially tricky tie for the seven-time champion playing at the tournament for the first time since 2022.

  • Australia reach World Cup knockouts, Turkey beat USA

    Australia booked their spot in the knockout rounds of the World Cup on Thursday after a cagey draw against Paraguay, who are set to qualify as a third-placed finisher, while Turkey beat USA 3-2, scoring the winner with virtually the last kick of the match.

Coming Up