Jos Buttler, England wicketkeeper-batsman will return to the squad for the second T20I against Pakistan on Sunday. Jos Buttler sustained a right calf injury in England’s first T20I victory over Sri Lanka last month and has not played since then.
In the 1st T20I, Pakistan scored a monumental 232 largely due to openers Babar Azam’s 85 and Mohammad Rizwan’s 63 and then bowled out opponents England for 201. Pakistan won despite Liam Livingstone’s 103 off 43 balls as Man of the Match Shaheen Shah Afridi picking 3/30 including wickets of Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow.
Jos Buttler Is Fit Again And Is Ready To Go And Play The 2nd T20I Against Pakistan: Paul Collingwood
Paul Collingwood, the standing England head coach has said that there will be quite a bit changes in the hosts’ squad for the second match against Pakistan keeping the T20 World Cup in mind.
“We have Jos Buttler fit again and he is ready to go so he will come back into the side. It will be good to see Jos Buttler back in the ranks. He has the experience and we all know what he can do at the top of the order,” Sky Sports quoted Collingwood as saying.
“We are desperate to win the games but at the same time there is experimenting going on because we have to give guys opportunities, it’s as simple as that,” he said.
“There are not many games before the T20 World Cup and we want to make sure every single position in the side is covered and we understand what every player who is backing up the other players can do,” he added.
Paul Collingwood also confirmed that Jonny Bairstow is “raring” to go in the second T20I against Pakistan.
“Jonny has a bit of bruising on the finger but he seems fine. Everyone is fit and raring to go,” said Collingwood.
Last month, the wicketkeeper-opener Jos Buttler sustained a calf tear in the first T20I against Sri Lanka, where he scored an unbeaten 68. He then missed the next two T20Is, the ODI series versus Sri Lanka, and the ODI series and the first T20I versus Pakistan, which the hosts lost on Friday by 31 runs. Dawid Malan opened alongside Jason Roy on Friday in the 1st T20I against Pakistan.
In the first T20I, Adil Rashid and Chris Jordan were rested while youngster Matt Parkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Tom Curran were given opportunities. On the other hand, Pakistan is likely to go unchanged after registering their first win on the tour.
Liam Livingstone’s Fastest T20I Ton By An England Player Goes In Vain
In the first T20I, Liam Livingstone scored the fastest T20I century by an England player but failed to take the hosts over the line as Pakistan recorded a 31-run win on Friday.
With this win, Pakistan has taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Liam Livingstone smashed nine sixes and six fours in a scintillating 103 off 43 balls but Pakistan bowlers held their nerve to eke out a hard-fought win. Shadab Khan turned the tables in the visitors’ favour by dismissing Lewis Gregory (10) and Liam Livingstone in the 17th over of the match to leave the hosts on 183 for seven, 50 runs behind their 233-run target.
The England chase subsided after Liam Livingstone’s dismissal as they were bowled out for 201 with four balls to spare. England and Pakistan will lock horns in the second T20I on Sunday.
Liam Livingstone has two more chances to gatecrash England’s first-choice XI for the Twenty20 World Cup, with assistant coach Paul Collingwood admitting his record-breaking hundred could make him impossible to ignore.
Liam Livingstone hit England’s fastest-ever century in a losing cause against Pakistan at Trent Bridge, blitzing nine sixes as he reached 103 in just 42 balls. Four years and a couple of false starts from his debut, it was the kind of devastating innings that changes perceptions and alters plans.