For all the explosive additions of Phil Salt and Will Jacks to England’s batting lineup, and for all the excitement regarding Jofra Archer’s return to the side, it is Jos Buttler who remains the key to their T20 World Cup hopes.
The captain’s wicket is still the most prized by opponents and when Buttler fires, so, usually, do England at large: across their T20 World Cup triumph in 2022, no player scored more runs; during the 50-over disaster of last year, no specialist batter averaged fewer.
Tuesday’s third T20 against Pakistan, then, will offer an interesting examination of England’s ability to cope without their talisman, who will be absent having temporarily left the camp to be with his wife Louise, who is expecting their third child.
Buttler is still expected to travel to the World Cup on Friday, ahead of England’s opener against Scotland on June 4, but there are myriad scenarios in which the defending champions could at some stage be forced to be without their leading man and stress-testing the solution now can be no bad thing.
Moeen Ali will skipper the side, while one of Jacks or Jonny Bairstow will move up the order to partner Phil Salt, with Ben Duckett set to come in. Game time for the Test opener is welcome, given his left-handedness may be needed in certain match-ups. Either Bairstow or Salt will take the gloves.
Buttler’s return to form across the SA20 in South Africa and then at the Indian Premier League (IPL) - where he made two hundreds for Rajasthan Royals - came as a huge relief heading into this short tournament build-up and his 84 off 51 put in England in charge of Saturday’s second T20 at Edgbaston from the gun.
With the fourth match to come at the Oval on Thursday, England can seal a series win in Cardiff on Tuesday, a success that would be their first since the 2022 World Cup.
