Harry Brook to lead England as Jos Buttler ruled out of Australia series

England batter Harry Brook will captain England for the first time after wicketkeeping batter Jos Buttler was ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against Australia.

Buttler had missed the T20I series as he continues to recover from the calf injury he had sustained earlier. Phil Salt led England in the series amid his absence from the squad.

Meanwhile, Harry Brook has captained England in an Under-19 World Cup in 2018 and also served as Ollie Pope’s deputy in the Test series against Sri Lanka.

The England Cricket Board (ECB) has also confirmed that pacer Josh Hull, who made his international debut in the final Test against Sri Lanka, has been sidelined following a quad injury.

It is worth mentioning here that the five-game ODI series between Australia and England will kickstart on September 19 at Trent Bridge.

Jos Buttler has not played since the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal against India in July. They were knocked out of the T20 World Cup 2024 after suffering a 68-run defeat to India while chasing a target of 172.

The defending champions’ batting lineup was dismantled by Indian spin duo of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav who both bagged three wickets each.

Later, Buttler admitted that he should have bowled Moeen Ali on a pitch that got low and slow while consistently offering turn as the game progressed.

England squad for Australia ODIs: Harry Brook (Captain), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Reece Topley and John Turner.