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August 25, 2024
“He’ll do a fitness test on the Monday, just before the game and with the England physios and everyone giving him the green light, then he’ll play,” Lancashire coach Dale Benkenstein told.
The white-ball captain of England, who had to withdraw from The Hundred Men’s Competition 2024 because of a calf injury, is now preparing to return to professional cricket by teaming up with Lancashire in the Vitality T20 Blast quarterfinals.
On September 4 at Hove, Lancashire, captained by Tymal Mills, is scheduled to play Sussex in the quarterfinal. Butler is awaiting the fitness test results; if cleared, he can play in the crucial match. Although the news of the premier wicketkeeper-batter’s return is encouraging, a lot will depend on the outcome of his fitness test, which is expected to be announced on Monday, the day before the match.
The county side’s head coach, Dale Benkenstein, verified that the English stumper will undergo a fitness clearance test on Monday; nevertheless, he won’t be able to play unless he receives a favorable signal from the national physios and other relevant parties.
“That’s looking really positive. We should have everyone fit for the quarterfinals. Jos has been doing a lot of rehab. I’ve been in contact with him, and he’s very keen to play. We are happy to leave it down to the last day,” Benkenstein said to ESPNcricinfo.
“He’ll do a fitness test on the Monday, just before the game, and with the England physios and everyone giving him the green light, then he’ll play. We are very keen that if he’s fit and ready to go, he’ll be playing,” he added.
With Buttler joining the team, the Lancs will have an all-star international lineup when they play. The other players included are Liam Livingstone, Philip Salt, and Saqib Mahmood. Irishman George Dockrell is also anticipated to be available instead of Chris Green, who will be occupied with providing his skills to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
However, express pacer Jofra Archer is also expected to play with Tymal Mills & Co., so Sussex, their opponent, doesn’t have a poor combination. Further information about his selection is still pending.
The Club also hopes to sign South Africa’s Matthew Breetzke as an opener.
Ashton Agar is playing with Northamptonshire against Somerset in the Vitality Blast quarterfinal. He replaced Sikandar Raza, and the team hopes to add Matthew Breetzke, a South African opener. Breetzke has scored 460 runs with a strike rate of 153.84, making him the top run scorer in Blast 2024. However, Cricket South Africa (CSA), according to Head Coach John Sadler, is awaiting the outcome.
Recall that earlier this year, Agar decided to work as a freelancer. When he finishes Global T20 Canada, he will be ready for the Blast. He’ll return to battle against Somerset, the reigning champions, at Wantage Road on September 5.
“Ashton is in, he’s booked to come back and he’s incredibly excited. He has been over at a tournament in Canada so he’s off back home to spend some time with his family, but then he’ll be back with us so we’re absolutely delighted with that,” Sadler said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“We’re hopeful that Matt will be able to get over, but we’re not sure how that’s going to pan out.
We obviously want to get him back because he’s been brilliant for us, but we’ll see how it unfolds. It’s a situation that is out of our and Matt’s hands to be honest. I know he’s desperate to come back, but he’s on the verge of playing for South Africa in all three formats, so that’s understandably his main driver,” he added.
Agar’s final Test series appearance for Australia came in 2023 against South Africa. Despite some skepticism around his selection for the T20 World Cup 2024, he proved to be the most economical bowler in Australia’s history during the 21-run defeat against Afghanistan. The 30-year-old played for Middlesex and Warwickshire before moving to the Northants for the T20 Blast.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Top Cricket News, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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