Jordan Cox will get another opportunity to strengthen his position in England’s white-ball plans after Jos Buttler was ruled out of next month’s 50-over tri-series in Pakistan.
Buttler, 36, suffered a hamstring injury while batting during England’s second ODI against Sri Lanka at Headingley, ruling him out of the series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which begins on October 20.
England coach Brendon McCullum said it was too early to determine how long Buttler would be sidelined but expressed confidence that the experienced wicketkeeper would work hard to return as soon as possible.
In Buttler’s absence, Cox is expected to take the wicketkeeper-batter’s place after an impressive summer.
The Durham player scored half-centuries in all three Tests against Pakistan after being selected at number three and continued his form in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, scoring 76 when deputising for Buttler at The Oval on Sunday.
McCullum described Cox’s performance as reminiscent of Buttler and said the 25-year-old had earned another opportunity through his performances for both England and domestically.
Cox’s elevation comes as England prepare for a demanding white-ball schedule that includes the Pakistan-Sri Lanka tri-series in October and tours of Australia in November.
The team is also looking ahead to next year’s 50-over World Cup, with England seeking to build on six limited-overs series victories achieved this year.
England are expected to finalise their squads on Monday, while new central contracts will also be announced in the coming days.
Durham opener Emilio Gay is in line for his first central contract following his Test debut summer and could be included in England’s winter tour of South Africa.
Tom Banton, who scored his maiden international century on Sunday, Cox and all-rounder Dan Lawrence are also among the players whose prospects will be closely watched.
Several existing contracts are meanwhile coming to an end. Former captain Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are set to leave the contract list following their international retirements, while Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Matthew Potts and Luke Wood are out of favour with their one-year deals due to expire.
Spinner Shoaib Bashir is another player whose future could attract attention after he featured in two Tests against New Zealand but was not selected for the playing XI against Pakistan.
England will also decide whether Brydon Carse travels to Pakistan. Carse has not been selected since he was arrested and subsequently de-arrested following a night out in Derby in August.
Although a police investigation ended without action, the Cricket Regulator is still investigating the matter. White-ball captain Harry Brook recently said Carse needed time away from international cricket.
McCullum, who began the summer as England’s coach across all three formats before being removed from the Test role in July, said he remained positive about the team’s direction.
He backed new Test coach Stephen Fleming to succeed with the red-ball side and said the change would give England more time to focus on areas requiring improvement.
England’s autumn campaign will therefore provide opportunities for several players to strengthen their claims, with Cox among those set to benefit most from Buttler’s absence.
