England has selected Dan Lawrence as the replacement for Jos Buttler for the third and deciding ODI against Sri Lanka at The Oval on September 27. The series is currently tied at 1-1.
Buttler's performance in the first two ODIs
Jos Buttler scored 31 runs in England's victory in the first ODI and played a key role in the chase in the second ODI. Coming in at number four, he continued the innings aggressively and entered the field after England reached 157 for three in pursuit of 322 runs.
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Unfortunately, early in the 38th over, Buttler appeared to have suffered a left hamstring injury and left the field after reaching 66 while completing a run. He temporarily exited the field but returned after a while, adding only three more runs to England's score, and ultimately the team finished 16 runs short of the target.
Opportunity for Jordan Cox and Lawrence's replacement
With Buttler absent from the third match, younger Jordan Cox may be given the opportunity. Cox has only played three ODIs so far but performed well in the recent Test series against Pakistan, scoring 202 runs in three matches with an average of 50.50.
Regarding the possibility of playing in the final ODI, he said: "If an opportunity arises for me, it would be amazing. Jos Buttler is probably the best white-ball cricketer we have produced, but he may be less known in 50-over cricket. Whoever comes in will be excited and must look forward to the challenge ahead."
Dan Lawrence is also another option for England to adjust their squad ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027. The 28-year-old has yet to play in limited-overs cricket for England and has played 17 Tests for his country, scoring 65 runs in his last match against Pakistan.
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