Buttler out of Oval decider as Lawrence earns ODI call-up

Jos Buttler has been ruled out of England's ODI series decider against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Sunday, with Jordan Cox likely to replace him and keep wicket. Dan Lawrence, who is yet to win an international cap in either white-ball format, has been called up to the squad as cover.

Buttler pulled up with a left hamstring injury while running between the wickets in Thursday's second ODI at Headingley and received treatment from England physio Steve Haw, a recent recruit from rugby union club Exeter Chiefs. He faced two more balls before retiring hurt, and briefly hobbled back to the middle before holing out as England slipped to a 16-run defeat.

Buttler's eventual 69 was his highest score in ODIs in three years, but his injury will be something of a concern. He is now 36, and has been affected by various soft-tissue injuries in recent years. These have mainly been calf injuries, but he also suffered a similar left-hamstring issue during the 2024 IPL season.

England do not yet know the extent of Buttler's injury but expect to have more information early next week once he has been for an MRI scan.

In Buttler's absence, Cox is likely to win only his fourth ODI cap on Sunday and is expected to take the gloves ahead of Tom Banton. Kevin Pietersen, England's new white-ball mentor, said on Thursday night that opportunities available through injuries would help build depth ahead of next year's World Cup.

"[We need to] have certain players in certain positions, in order for us to know that if something like this happens to Jos in, say, the final round of whatever game in South Africa, and you've got to go and play a quarter-final, that somebody can step up into Jos's boots - like we're going to need to have on Sunday," Pietersen said.

Lawrence, who made three half-centuries in four innings in England's recent Test series win over Pakistan, has been withdrawn from Surrey's ongoing County Championship match at Somerset, having made his sixth hundred of the season on Thursday. He will train with the ODI squad at The Oval on Saturday.

Lawrence was previously called up to England's ODI squad to face Pakistan in 2021 when their first-choice side went into Covid isolation, but did not play a game in the series. He has only played 28 List A games in his career, the most recent of them in May 2019.