Jos Buttler has been ruled out of England’s ODI tri-series in Pakistan, which begins next month, after sustaining a hamstring injury in the second ODI against Sri Lanka at Headingley on September 26, 2026. The England wicketkeeper-batter initially retired hurt during the match before briefly returning to the crease, but the injury has since been confirmed as serious enough to end his involvement in the home series and the forthcoming tour.
Buttler was also absent from the third and final ODI against Sri Lanka at The Oval. As per reports, he is highly unlikely to be fit for the tour of Australia in November, placing his participation in that assignment in considerable doubt.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed it is yet to establish the full extent of the hamstring problem. No return date has been set, with England making clear they will not speculate on a recovery timeline until a comprehensive medical assessment is complete.
How did the injury occur and what is the current medical picture?
Buttler pulled up during England’s defeat to Sri Lanka at Headingley on September 26, 2026. He retired hurt mid-innings but briefly resumed before leaving the field for good. That appearance proved to be his last involvement in the home series.
Before the injury intervened, Buttler had shown consistent form across England’s white-ball fixtures. He scored 31 and 69 in the two completed ODIs against Sri Lanka and had been the leading run-scorer across the preceding three-match T20I series against the same opposition. The hamstring setback has cut short that run of form at a significant moment in England’s schedule.
The ECB has not disclosed the grade or severity classification of the injury. With the Australia tour pencilled in for November, the available recovery window is short, and England are withholding any timeline until the medical picture is clearer.
Who replaces Buttler and what are the implications for England’s schedule?
Jordan Cox is set to take on wicketkeeping duties and a middle-order role across the fixtures Buttler will miss. Cox made an immediate impression in the third ODI against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Sunday, striking his first ODI half-century while deputising for the injured captain in what was the series decider.
The situation presents white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum with a chance to examine England’s batting depth with an eye on the 50-over World Cup scheduled for next year. McCullum has been using this run of home fixtures to look beyond the established names, and Cox’s performance in the series decider offered a timely indication of what the younger options can contribute.
England now travel to Pakistan for the ODI tri-series without their former captain. The more pressing question is whether Buttler can recover sufficiently to join the squad for Australia in November.
