Buttler won't rush rehab - and may not play for England until September

Jos Buttler has insisted that he will not rush his return from hamstring surgery and may not play for England again until September 2027.

Buttler has revealed that he is a doubt for England's ODIs against South Africa in January, and may therefore not play an international match until a month before the 2027 World Cup. This is a consequence of England's stop-start white-ball schedule, with next summer's Ashes and the Hundred dominating their mid-summer schedule, and the ECB's agreement with the BCCI that England players will be available for the whole of the IPL season, which could extend to the end of May.

Buttler tore his left hamstring while running between the wickets in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Headingley last month, shortly after his 36th birthday. The injury is a significant one - believed to be at least a grade-three tear - and he underwent surgery this month which has ruled him out of England's ongoing tri-series in Pakistan and their upcoming tour to Australia.

He has since revealed a minimum 12-week rehabilitation period and expects that England's three ODIs in South Africa in January will "come a bit too soon", so is instead targeting a playing return at some stage during the SA20. He will then play his 12th consecutive IPL season, with his franchise Gujarat Titans almost certain to confirm his retention on the November 15 deadline.

But Buttler's involvement in the IPL may see him miss England's five-match ODI series against Pakistan, which runs from May 15-26. There remains some uncertainty over whether the BCCI will bring the IPL's window slightly forward next year, but the ECB will allow players to stay in India to fulfil their franchise commitments rather than bringing them home early.

As a result, there is a significant possibility that Buttler will not play an international match until England face New Zealand in three T20Is and five ODIs next September, a month before the start of the 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Buttler remains an important part of England's World Cup plans, keeping wicket and batting in the middle order, and is centrally contracted by the ECB. Cricinfo has learned that the ECB will consider picking him for some England Lions fixtures - potentially against Australia A next summer, for example - to give him some 50-over practice between his franchise commitments.

"It's a bit early to say, but I think the surgeon and the doctors were [saying] anywhere between 12 and 16 weeks from the date of your surgery is when you're looking to get back playing again, so I'll hopefully have a bat in my hand well before that," Buttler said on his For the Love of Cricket podcast this week, when asked about the timeframe for a potential comeback.

He is a doubt for England's ODIs in South Africa (Jan 10-15) but hopes to make his comeback for Durban's Super Giants in the SA20 (Jan 17-Feb 21). "[In] January time, there's some England games in South Africa; they might come a bit too soon, but SA20 is probably a goal that is in the back of my mind," Buttler said.

"It [rehabilitation] is never straightforward or linear, is it? You'll probably have some really good weeks, might have a week where it pushes you back," he added. "But I definitely don't want to rush it. There's so much cricket ahead next year, and obviously a few more years - hopefully - left of my career. If it takes me a week or two longer to get it right, I'm going to take that time."

Buttler revealed that he is still wearing a leg brace, and has started making "very small movements" as part of his rehabilitation after spending the first week post-surgery resting. "I'm trying to see all the silver linings of it," he said. "I've got a long period of time at home, which as cricketers we don't always get.

"Obviously it's an enforced one with an injury, which you don't want, but it's going to be really nice to [not only] spend a good block of time at home and get the hamstring right, but also have a block of three or four months of just getting refreshed mentally and really fit as well. [I will] come back stronger than when I left, that's the plan."

England have struggled in Buttler's absence in their tri-series in Pakistan. They have lost all three of their group-stage fixtures - two of them from positions that appeared impregnable - and are out of contention for Saturday's final. They will play a dead-rubber against Sri Lanka on Thursday before travelling onto Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is next month.