Buttler sidelined for West Indies ODI Series due to injury; Livingstone to Captain

LONDON, ENGLAND – England’s white-ball skipper Jos Buttler has been ruled out of the upcoming One-Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies after experiencing a setback in his recovery from a calf injury.

England confirmed the news on Monday, revealing that Liam Livingstone will take the reins as captain in Buttler’s absence.

Buttler, who has been recovering from the calf injury that kept him out of England's recent white-ball matches against Australia, had hoped to return for the West Indies series. However, the England camp announced that his recovery process had encountered "a minor setback," which will force him to sit out of the three-match ODI series set to begin next week.

Despite this delay, England remains optimistic about Buttler’s return in time for the five-match T20 series against the West Indies, slated to start on November 9.

For the upcoming ODIs, Livingstone will captain the squad for the first time, marking a new leadership role for the dynamic all-rounder. Last month, England rotated captains for their white-ball series against Australia, with Harry Brook taking charge in the ODIs and Phil Salt leading the T20s.