Jos Buttler has linked up with England in Barbados ahead of his return this week but he will not take the wicketkeeping gloves in the T20 series against the West Indies.
Several comeback attempts from a nagging calf injury have had to be aborted, meaning England’s white-ball captain has not played professionally since the end of June at the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
Having missed The Hundred in the summer, Australia’s limited-overs visit in September and the ongoing ODI series against the Windies, Buttler intends to ease his way back in as a specialist opening batter.
Phil Salt will instead be behind the stumps when the T20s start with a double-header in Bridgetown this weekend, freeing Buttler up to field closer to his bowlers and communicate with them more clearly.
Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan have previously been relied upon to carry out this role but the pair are no longer part of the set-up, with Buttler one of the few experienced heads now in the dressing room.
“Maybe it will get a little bit more out of him at mid-off having an opportunity to chat to the bowlers,” Salt said.
“The only thing that keeping takes away from you is the advantage of being there with the bowlers at the top of their marks all the time.
“Sometimes you can can get stuck in a bit of a position where the only times you’re running up to a bowler is when things aren’t going to plan and you’re running up to reaffirm positive things.”
Buttler has kept in 106 of his previous 108 T20s but he was preparing to hand over the responsibility had he been fit against Australia, with Salt taking over in T20s and Jamie Smith doing so in the ODIs.
After arriving into Barbados on Sunday evening, Buttler was one of a handful of players at optional training at the Kensington Oval, where he completed some close-in fielding drills and had five minutes of throw downs in the nets before a rain shower brought the session to a premature conclusion.
While Buttler focuses on reinforcing his captaincy after a tricky 12 months that has seen England sacrifice both limited-overs World Cups, Salt is all too eager to be given more influence on a match.
“It’s not something I’ve done a lot for England recently, but I enjoy keeping,” Salt said. “I feel like that’s where I offer most to the side. I think it’s the best place to see the game from at all times.
“I’ll do whatever the team requires of me, it’s always been my mentality. I want to be involved in everything. Even when I’m in the field, I want the ball to come to me every ball.”
West Indies vs England schedule (all times UK and Ireland)
- First ODI: Antigua – West Indies win by eight wickets (DLS)
- Second ODI: Antigua – England win by five wickets
- Third ODI: Barbados – Wednesday November 6 (6pm)
- First T20: Barbados – Saturday November 9 (8pm)
- Second T20: Barbados – Sunday November 10 (8pm)
- Third T20: St Lucia – Thursday November 14 (8pm)
- Fourth T20: St Lucia – Saturday November 16 (8pm)
- Fifth T20: St Lucia – Sunday November 17 (8pm)
Follow England’s white-ball tour of West Indies across Sky Sports‘ digital platforms with live blogs and reports. The third and final one-day international is in Barbados on Wednesday (6pm start UK and Ireland).
