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Harry Brook will captain England for Australia's ODIs as Jos Buttler misses out

Harry Brook will captain England for the first time during the five-match ODI series against Australia, as Jos Buttler is ruled out for the rest of the summer with a calf injury sustained in July. Buttler's injury has also given a chance to Liam Livingstone, who has been recalled to the 50-over side after an initial absence.

Brook has been groomed for many years as a future England captain, having captained the team at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. He represented Yorkshire in four matches of the 2022 T20 Blast as captain and led the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred this year, winning five of the six matches he coached and narrowly missing out on the knockout stages with the team.

He was also Ollie Pope's vice-captain during England's recent 2-1 Test series win over Sri Lanka, with the team's management keen to develop long-term leadership options. Phil Salt has captained the ongoing T20I series, which is tied 1-1 ahead of Sunday afternoon's rain-prone decider in Manchester.

“It's going to be a great opportunity for Brooky to be captain,” Buttler said. “He's a pretty laid back character but I think he's got everything under control. He thinks about it really well… I'm sure he'll do it in his own way and develop a feel for those moments.” [in games]. That's what we encourage everyone to do as a team – whether you're a player or a captain – to try and identify those moments that you think can make the difference and go for it and go for it.”

Buttler's long absence is a concern, however, as he has suffered from calf problems of late. He missed most of a series against Sri Lanka in 2021 due to a torn muscle and was ruled out of England's seven-match T20I tour of Pakistan the following year due to a strain that briefly jeopardised his participation in the 2022 World Cup.

He has not played cricket since England's exit from the T20 World Cup in June, when they lost to India in the semi-finals: he had originally targeted a return in the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast, but suffered a setback in his rehabilitation while running. Buttler was in England's team for this week's T20I series against Australia and is targeting a return for the Caribbean tour in November.

“It's going a bit slower than I hoped,” Buttler said of his recovery. “I'm going to miss the ODI series as well, which is a shame. But at my age, I just need to make sure I get it right. It's a shame to miss cricket and stuff, of course, but I just want to get it right. There's a lot to look forward to in the future.”

“Injuries force you to stop and take a different perspective. It's nice to be around the guys, meet some new faces and see what they're about. I try to share my ideas, listen to theirs and learn how they work and build those relationships, which are obviously very important.”

Buttler also confirmed that he would not have played as a wicket-keeper had he been fit for the T20Is after discussions with England's new coach Brendon McCullum. “After I spoke to Baz about it, he came across the fact that an injury prevented him from playing as a wicket-keeper, but then he really enjoyed being alongside the bowler in the mid-off,” Buttler explained.

“I'll see how the calf takes running around the outfield, otherwise we might have a drop in performance for a long time,” he joked. “But yes, I'm very open to such things. I just want the best for the team: the best for the team is that I'm the best captain I can be and if that means I have to go from behind the wickets, then so be it.”

Livingstone's return to the side comes after his impressive performances in the first two T20Is. He used his leg breaks to take five wickets in six overs and smashed 87 off 47 to win the match in Cardiff on Friday night. On Wednesday night, he admitted he was baffled by his initial absence from the ODI side after top-scoring in England's defeat at the Utilita Bowl.
England have also confirmed that Josh Hull will not take part in the ODI series after sustaining a minor quadriceps injury on his Test debut at the Oval last week. A team spokesman said his absence was purely a precautionary measure and that his participation in the three-match Test tour to Pakistan in October was not in jeopardy.

The five-match ODI series begins at Trent Bridge on Thursday and runs until September 29.

England’s ODI squad: Harry Brook (captain), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, John Turner.

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