Jos Buttler Undergoes Surgery, Faces Extended Recovery from Hamstring Injury

Jos Buttler has expressed heightened motivation for his return to fitness following surgery on his left hamstring, which he sustained while batting during England’s ODI series against Sri Lanka last month.
The 36-year-old Buttler was injured during England’s defeat to Sri Lanka in the second ODI at Headingley on September 24, initially retiring hurt before briefly resuming his innings.
Buttler had already been ruled out of England’s tri-series in Pakistan, with the team departing later this week, and is now expected to miss the white-ball tour of Australia in November, with the squad announcement due on Tuesday morning.
No specific recovery timeline has been provided, though Buttler was originally scheduled to play for Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 league starting January 17, a prospect now in doubt.
On Monday, Buttler shared an Instagram post confirming his surgery, depicting himself in a hospital bed with a brace on his left leg and giving a thumbs-up. He wrote, “Successful surgery and on the road to recovery. Feeling more motivated than ever!”
Buttler’s injury marked the end of a strong season for the former England white-ball captain and double World Cup winner. After struggling in the T20 World Cup in India with 87 runs during the semi-final run, he rebounded with 466 runs in nine white-ball internationals, including an innings of 69 runs from 49 balls with five sixes that ended due to the injury.
Additionally, he captained Manchester Super Giants to Hundred victory, becoming the first player to score 15,000 career T20 runs.
Despite the surgery, concerns linger due to Buttler’s history of soft-tissue injuries, primarily calf issues, but also a similar left-hamstring problem during the 2024 IPL season.
On Monday, Buttler and fellow veteran Adil Rashid received one-year contract extensions from the ECB, but their deals expire before the 50-over World Cup in South Africa next year.
Rob Key, England Men’s managing director, addressed the timing, noting that England’s campaign starts against Bangladesh in Windhoek on October 8, after the contracts nominally expire on September 30.
Key stated, “We don’t see it as Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid not being part of that World Cup. We have them factored in. If they weren’t involved, we wouldn’t have been playing them after that point. Both are desperate to play for England. It’s largely how the system works. Decisions will be made next year.”

Source link