T20 vice-captain has been rested for five Tests this yearEngland begin T20 series against Sri Lanka on WednesdayJos Buttler has said there are no perfect answers to the scheduling overkill that has led to him missing five of England’s eight Test matches this year in order to rest and with Twenty20
Cricket seemingly prioritised.
A centrally contracted player for
England in all three formats, Buttler’s itinerary thus far in 2021 sums up much of the wider frustration with the team’s rotation policy, having left the Test series in
India for a scheduled break with the side 1-0 up and following back-to-back victories in Sri Lanka. Joe Root’s side have lost four of their five Tests since – the 3-1 defeat by India was followed by a 1-0 series loss at home to
New Zealand – while Buttler has featured in all eight of the white-ball team’s fixtures and played in the Indian
Premier League before its cancellation at the start of May.