The English players have left early from the IPL 2024, to participate in a bilateral series against Pakistan, as a part of preparation for the T20 World Cup. But the series wasn’t off to an auspicious start since the first match in Headingley, Leeds, was washed out due to rain. And now it seems, that two of their players — Mark Wood and Liam Livingstone won’t be available for a few matches.
The duo are still injured as per skipper Jos Buttler. “Liam Livingstone’s not fit for tomorrow. He’s getting his knee right. Mark Wood’s not fit either,” Buttler said. It is important to note that Wood has been out of action since the final Test vs India at Dharamsala almost two months ago. On the other hand, Livingstone sustained an injury during the IPL 2024, and is being closely monitored.
Jos Buttler Might Leave During T20 World Cup
The problems do not end there for the English team. Buttler is expecting the birth of his third child during the T20 World Cup, and may have to leave for home in the middle. “My family comes first. I’ll be there. I don’t think they [babies] quite tell you sometimes when they’re going to come, but I’ve got a plan in place,” he said.
In his absence, Moeen Ali will take over the skipper duties while Phil Salt will be the wicket-keeper.
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No Warm-up Matches for England
Another issue for England is, they won’t be playing any warm-up matches in the lead up to the T20 World Cup, while some of their rivals will. India is slated to play their solitary warm-up match on June 1 in New York, vs Bangladesh. Teams like Australia and Sri Lanka will play two each. That could well mean that the defending champions might be under-prepared for the tournament.
ENG vs PAK Schedule
Second T20I at Birmingham: May 25
Third T20I at Cardiff: May 28
Fourth T20I at The Oval: May 30
England Squad
Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.
