London : Jos Buttler has vowed to return to full fitness with greater determination after undergoing surgery on his left hamstring, which he injured while batting during England’s ODI series against Sri Lanka last month.
The 36-year-old sustained the injury during England’s defeat in the second ODI at Headingley on September 24. He initially retired hurt before briefly returning to the crease.
Buttler had already been ruled out of England’s upcoming tri-series in Pakistan, with the squad set to depart later this week. He is also likely to miss England’s white-ball tour of Australia in November, with the squad for the series scheduled to be announced on Tuesday morning.
Buttler revealed in an Instagram post on Monday that he had undergone surgery, sharing a picture of himself giving a thumbs-up from his hospital bed, with his left leg secured in a brace.
"Successful [sic] surgery and on the road to recovery," he added. "Feeling more motivated than ever!"
Buttler’s injury has brought an untimely end to an impressive run of form for England’s former white-ball captain and two-time World Cup winner. After a difficult T20 World Cup campaign in India earlier this year, where he managed just 87 runs as England reached the semi-finals, Buttler bounced back strongly, scoring 466 runs across his next nine white-ball internationals.
His resurgence included a blistering 69 off 49 balls, featuring five sixes, in the innings during which he sustained the hamstring injury.
On Monday, Buttler and fellow England white-ball veteran Adil Rashid were handed one-year contract extensions by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The extensions mean Buttler’s current deal is set to expire before the start of next year’s 50-over World Cup in South Africa.