Buttler, England's limited-overs captain, sustained the in July while preparing for the men's Hundred, which ruled him out of the tournament. He had subsequently targeted Lancashire's Vitality Blast quarter-final against Sussex on Wednesday night for a comeback ahead of the white ball series, which begins at the Utilita Bowl on September 11.

But having aggravated the injury, he could now miss the rest of the summer, having not played any cricket since England's T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India on June 27. Salt, whose only captaincy experience came while deputising for Buttler as Manchester Originals captain during the Hundred, will take the reins initially, and is also set to keep wicket.

While England hope Buttler can play some part in the ODI series, this setback comes at an inopportune time as the squad transitions towards a younger core after the disappointments of the 2023 ODI and 2024 T20 World Cups.

It is also worth noting this is Buttler's third calf injury in the past four years. He turns 34 on Sunday and his future as captain, and longevity as an international cricketer, may rely upon giving up wicketkeeping duties to better preserve his body.