Following surgery on his left hamstring, which he sustained while batting during England’s One Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka last month, Jos Buttler has pledged to fully recover. On September 24, during England’s defeat in the second ODI at Headingley, the 36-year-old was injured and had to retire briefly before continuing his innings.
The hamstring problem first surfaced on September 24, 2026, when England lost the second ODI against Sri Lanka at Headingley. Butler left the field with an injury midway through the inning, but returned briefly to continue the game, but was eventually suspended again. He made 69 off 49 balls in that knock, hitting five sixes, before an injury ended his involvement.
Mr Butler had already been recalled from a three-part England mission to Pakistan ahead of the operation, which was due to depart later this week. This operation, which took place on October 12, 2026, will call into question certain additional commitments in the coming months.
The ECB was scheduled to name its squad for the Australia white-ball tour on October 13, 2026, and Buttler appears certain to be absent from that series in November. His franchise contract with Durban\’s Super Giants for the SA20, a competition that opens on January 17, 2027, is also now uncertain given that no recovery date has been set.
The injury prematurely ended the former England captain and two-time World Cup winner’s stellar run of form. Despite a difficult season in which he scored just 87 runs as England reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in India earlier this year, Buttler bounced back and went on to score 466 runs in nine white-ball international matches.
This resurgence included a rapid 69 off 49 balls, featuring five sixes, in the innings during which he sustained the hamstring injury. On Monday, both Buttler and fellow England white-ball veteran Adil Rashid received one-year contract extensions from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The extension means Buttler’s current contract expires before the start of next year’s 50-over World Cup in South Africa.
