Jos Buttler not playing today’s 7th T20I versus Pakistan despite having travelled along with the entire squad ahead of the historic tour.
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England White ball skipper Jos Buttler will yet again remain out of action during the ongoing seventh and final T20I between England and Pakistan, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
In what is expected to be a cracker of a final match tonight with the series evenly poised at 3-3, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has won the Toss and elected to field first.
Having rested their in-form players in wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, and pacer Haris Rauf during the previous T20I, Pakistan have made sure to include both of them in the series decider tonight, replacing Mohammad Haris and Shahnawaz Dahani respectively. Also, bowling allrounder Aamer Jamal has made way for Mohammad Hasnain as the other change in the pace bowling department.
As for England, allrounder Chris Woakes is in for Richard Gleeson, as their only change in the playing XI.
One final pep talk 🗣
🇵🇰#PAKvENG 🏴 pic.twitter.com/3CO2zM72ao
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 2, 2022
Why is Jos Buttler not playing today’s 7th T20I versus Pakistan
Jos Buttler, who was expected to feature in the playing XI during the last two T20Is, will leave the Pakistan shores without a single game under his belt.
For those unaware, Buttler had suffered a calf injury during ‘The Hundred’ a few weeks ago, and had decided to not partake during the Karachi leg (first four T20Is) of the ongoing tour, despite well on path to his recovery.
Post winning the sixth T20I, England’s skipper for the tour Moeen Ali, after being questioned on Buttler’s availability for the ongoing seventh T20I had remarked, “He’s feeling good, been training a bit more. Whether or not we risk him for one game, we’ll see.”
Thus, with mere one game remaining, the team management is clearly not willing to take any chances with the T20 World Cup only a couple of weeks due, while also having coped a big blow earlier, when Jonny Bairstow too, was ruled out of the same a few weeks ago.
