“This series will provide good preparation for the T20 World Cup" : Jos Buttler

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Jos Buttler speaking in arrival presser


“I’m really happy to be here. England team is touring Pakistan after a very long time"

“Pakistan is currently going through a tough phase due to floods all over the country. We hope we can provide some entertainment to the fans at this difficult hour"

“This series will provide good preparation for the T20 World Cup. The young players in the squad are eager to do well against Pakistan"

"We will make use of the experience of players who have played in the Pakistan Super League"

This seven-match series is seen as a preparation for next month's Twenty20 World Cup to be held in Australia, and Buttler hoped his young side build up well for the mega event.

"We look forward to the tough challenge and to be battle-hardened for the World Cup after this series"

"Obviously the main aim for everyone is to turn up for Australia fully ready"

"Plenty of our players featured in the PSL and shared the positive experiences of being here and about how much the public love the game"

"We know Pakistan are a very great side. We look forward to challenge ourselves against them and I expect to see some great cricket."

"Obviously, with her majesty the queen passing, we were deeply saddened by that. We have seen the reactions over in England.

"We hope to honour her in our own way as a T20 team and play in a fashion to do that."

 

[Energy]

Welcome to Pakistan!

 

[Fenrir]

Pakistan will have to play aggressive cricket to beat this England team which has very hard hitting batsmen and good bowling attack,

 

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More quotes added

 

[Minnowbasher]

7 t20s is crazy. Feel like series will get boring after 3 or 4 t20s

 

[Kianig89]

Hopefully series will down to the wire like 7 game series what if one team gets an inaccessible 4-0 lead

 

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England white-ball captain Jos Buttler hopes they and Pakistan can play an exciting cricket series to raise the spirits of millions of people suffering from the devastating floods in the country.

The English team arrived on Thursday for their first tour of Pakistan in 17 years to play seven T20s from next week and build up for the T20 World Cup next month in Australia.

"These are tough times that the people of Pakistan are facing with the floods," Buttler said. "We hope that we can, us being here, uplift that a little bit and raise spirits by seeing us play cricket.

"As a team, we're making a donation which will be matched by the ECB as well to try and do a small part to help the people in need at the moment.

"We hope us being here as well will obviously shed light on that as well and people can see that the people need help and hopefully some exciting games of cricket will be a small tonic to raise some spirits as well."

The massive floods have affected more than 33 million people and displaced over half a million people who are still living in tents and makeshift accommodation. The water has destroyed 70 per cent of wheat, cotton and other crops in Pakistan. At one point, a third of the country's territory was submerged.

Buttler also said England were playing to "honour" Queen Elizabeth II after her passing last week.

"Her Majesty the Queen passing, we are all deeply saddened by that," added Buttler. "I think we've seen the reaction, especially at home in England, to her passing and I think cricket did a fantastic job at the Oval [Test match vs South Africa] to honour her.

"The way that game was played, those were some special scenes watching on the TV. So we hope to honour her our own way as a T20 team and play in a fashion to do that."

Most of the England players, including Buttler, are touring Pakistan for the first time. But the recalled Alex Hales, Moeen Ali and Liam Dawson have appeared in the Pakistan Super League.

Ben Stokes, Chris Jordan and Liam Livingstone have skipped the tour but are part of England's T20 World Cup squad.

Buttler is recovering from a calf injury and is likely to miss some games, with Ali expected to lead the side in his absence.

"We're in a bit of a unique situation as a team with a few guys injured, who will be fit in time for the World Cup, but not necessarily fit here. There's a few guys who are still coming back to full fitness as well, so we'll have to manage them through this tour. And obviously the main aim for everyone is to turn up to Australia fully ready to go for that World Cup."

England were due to play three T20s in Pakistan before the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates last year, but cancelled the tour after New Zealand aborted its white-ball tour due to security concerns.

The ECB decision was described as disrespectful by the Pakistan Cricket Board, which worked tirelessly to convince other leading nations such as South Africa, West Indies, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Australia to tour after the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore.

The port city of Karachi will host four T20s from September 20-25, and the remainder will be in Lahore from September 28-October 2.

SKY

 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jos Buttler “We’ve been brilliantly looked after here. The people of Pakistan have been so welcoming. They are going through some tough times with the floods. We can really feel the sense of warmth that we’ve had here” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvENG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvENG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1575160872455983104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[James]

England are behind in the series and need to win the next game. Buttler should play.

 

[Rana]

England are behind in the series and need to win the next game. Buttler should play.

Agreed

He needs to come to the battle like Sauron did against the Armies of the Elves and Men.

 

[sweep_shot]

This series has been a very good series.

Competitive and entertaining.

Good preparation for World T20.

 

[Hitman]

Pakistan are a really good T20 side.

 

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England captain Jos Buttler says he is "progressing well" as he bids to return to full fitness ahead of the T20 World Cup next month.

Buttler has not played since August 18 due a calf injury he sustained during The Hundred but is with England on the T20 tour of Pakistan as he closes in on a comeback.

Pakistan and the same number against Australia - before their World Cup opener against Afghanistan in Perth on October 22.

Speaking between innings during England's defeat to Pakistan in the fifth T20I of the seven-match series, Buttler said: "I am progressing well.

"It would be nice to play but with the World Cup round the corner, we are taking a cautious approach.

"I am running a few drinks, getting the loads up, feeling good. I feel like if it was a World Cup game tomorrow I could play but I am being a bit cautious and taking it a bit slowly. If I had to, I could play.

"It is quite a unique situation to be here and not play, to observe.

"I am learning lots listening to the group and watching the way they go about things, watching without as much emotion as when you are involved and thinking about what you will do at certain times.

"[Stand-in skipper] Moeen Ali has been fantastic. I have very much asked him to lead the group and take it on as if he is captain and he has been brilliant - great around the group as he always is and on the field I have been impressed."

Buttler is set to open for England at the T20 World Cup and there could also be a spot in the middle order for Harry Brook, with the Yorkshireman making innings of note in each of the T20s against Pakistan so far, bar the fifth when he was dismissed for four.

Brook smashed an unbeaten 81 from 35 balls in the third fixture, including five sixes and nine fours, as England piled on 221-3 in Karachi.

Buttler added: "Brook is giving people really good selection headaches which is what you want. The mark of good teams is good people outside the XI pushing to get in the XI.

"He has got a lot of game, a lot of options. I don't think he premeditates too much, he reacts to every ball coming down.

"I like his demeanour at the crease and I like the way he goes about his business. He is pretty unflappable."

Seamer Mark Wood could be crucial for England at the World Cup and impressed on Wednesday evening with 3-20 during a searing four-over spell in Lahore.

The paceman has claimed three-wicket hauls in each of the two T20s he has played in the Pakistan series, twice dismissing home skipper Babar Azam.

Buttler said: "I have been delighted with Woody. He is such a great man to have in your team on and off the field.

"He has shown a great amount of resilience. He has been through lots of injuries but bounces back every time and does the work.

"To bowl 97mph the other day was fantastic. Anyone who bowls at that pace creates chances and mistakes and being able to have a genuine wicket-taker is valuable in T20 cricket."

SKY