England star Jos Buttler has had hamstring surgery that will rule him out of the ODI tri-series in Pakistan, with the 36-year-old confirming on Monday that he has gone under the knife to repair the left hamstring he injured against Sri Lanka last month.
Buttler announced the operation in an Instagram post, sharing a photograph of himself giving a thumbs-up from a hospital bed with his left leg in a brace. “Successful surgery and on the road to recovery,” he wrote. “Feeling more motivated than ever!”
Buttler’s hamstring surgery follows Headingley injury
The wicketkeeper-batter sustained the injury during England’s defeat to Sri Lanka in the second ODI at Headingley on September 24. He was batting on 69 from 49 balls, having hit five sixes, when the hamstring gave way.
Buttler initially retired hurt, then returned to the crease briefly before pulling up again. Chasing 322, England fell 16 runs short. The hosts later won the series decider by 223 runs without him.
No official recovery timeline has been given, leaving a string of major assignments in doubt.
England’s Pakistan tri-series comes first
The ODI tri-series in Pakistan, involving England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka from October 18 to October 31, is the first major engagement Buttler will miss. England’s squad is scheduled to depart for Pakistan this week, with the campaign opening against the hosts in Rawalpindi on October 20.
That makes the injury a live issue for Pakistan’s cricket fans. England will arrive without their most experienced white-ball batter, a player who has shaped English white-ball sides for more than a decade. Pakistan, fresh from sealing a 2-0 T20I series win over Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, will now face a weakened England outfit on home soil.
The setback could also cost Buttler the white-ball tour of Australia, where England play three ODIs and five T20Is starting in mid-November. The squad for that tour is named on Tuesday.
His next pencilled-in engagement is the SA20, where he was due to represent Durban’s Super Giants when the tournament begins on January 17. That appearance is now uncertain too.
A fine season cut short
The injury has ended a strong run of form for England’s former white-ball captain. After a difficult T20 World Cup campaign in India earlier this year, where he managed 87 runs as England reached the semi-finals, Buttler responded with 466 runs across his next nine white-ball internationals.
He also captained Manchester Super Giants to the Hundred title, becoming the first player to reach 15,000 career runs in T20 cricket during the campaign. Concern about the injury runs deeper than this one setback: calf problems have troubled him in recent seasons, and he suffered a similar left-hamstring injury during the 2024 Indian Premier League.
One-year deals for Buttler and Rashid
On Monday, Buttler and fellow white-ball veteran Adil Rashid received one-year central contract extensions from the England and Wales Cricket Board. The deals run to September 30, 2027, a week before England’s 50-over World Cup campaign opens against Bangladesh in Windhoek.
England men’s managing director Rob Key played down the timing, saying it was a matter of scheduling rather than selection. He expressed confidence both players would feature at the World Cup, noting that they would not have been picked through this season otherwise.
FAQs
When did Jos Buttler injure his hamstring?
Buttler injured his left hamstring while batting in England’s second ODI against Sri Lanka at Headingley on September 24, 2026. He was on 69 from 49 balls when the injury forced him to retire hurt.
Which series will Jos Buttler miss?
He is already ruled out of England’s ODI tri-series in Pakistan (October 18 to 31) and is likely to miss the white-ball tour of Australia in November. His SA20 stint with Durban’s Super Giants, starting January 17, is also in doubt.
What did Buttler say after the surgery?
Announcing the operation on Instagram on October 12, he wrote: “Successful surgery and on the road to recovery. Feeling more motivated than ever!”
Are Buttler and Adil Rashid still contracted to England?
Yes. Both received one-year central contract extensions from the ECB on Monday. The deals expire on September 30, 2027, a week before the 50-over World Cup in South Africa.
Related on Feature Pakistan
- Ollie Pope, Will Smeed and David Willey Withdraw from Afghanistan Premier League Draft — more England cricket news from this week.
- Pakistan Crush Sri Lanka to Seal T20I Series 2-0 in Rawalpindi — the series that ends just as England’s tri-series begins.
- Maaz Sadaqat’s 96 Powers Pakistan to 215 Against Sri Lanka — the form Pakistan carry into the England series.
- Pakistan’s Upcoming Series and Schedule 2026 — full fixture list for the home season.
