ENG vs PAK | Jos Buttler set to return to England side for 2nd T20I

ENG vs PAK | Jos Buttler set to return to England side for 2nd T20I

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Buttler will return to the England side today

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Paul Collingwood has confirmed that wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler will return to England's team in the second T20I against Pakistan in Leeds on Sunday after recovering from a calf injury. Collingwood also backed out-of-form England captain Eoin Morgan, who is having a tough time with the bat.

England's white-ball vice-captain Jos Buttler will return to the side and will start against Pakistan in the second T20 International to be played in Leeds on Sunday. The wicketkeeper-batsman missed the first match, which England lost by 31 runs, owing to a calf injury he had sustained during the Sri Lanka T20Is. 

Former England white-ball captain Paul Collingwood, who is the team's stand-in head coach in place of Chris Silverwood for the Pakistan series, confirmed Buttler's availability for the second T20I. 

"It will be good to see Jos back in the ranks. He has the experience and we all know what he can do at the top of the order," Collingwood told reporters on Saturday. 

Despite Liam Livingstone's fabulous knock of 43-ball 103 runs in the second innings, England failed to chase Pakistan's mammoth total of 232. England do not have too many T20I matches to play once the series against Pakistan ends, and Collingwood stressed giving every single player sufficient opportunity in order to zero-in on the final XI in time for the World T20 in October. 

"We are desperate to win the games but at the same time there is experimenting going on because we have to give guys opportunities, it's as simple as that. There are not many games before the T20 World Cup and we want to make sure every single position in the side is covered and we understand what every player who is backing up the other players can do," Collingwood stated. 

Lancashire's 24-year-old leg spinner Matthew Parkinson, who impressed in the ODIs against Pakistan, where he picked five wickets in three games, was expensive in the first T20I, giving away 47 runs without taking any wicket. However, Collingwood hinted at giving another opportunity to the young leggie, who is currently featuring in the starting XI ahead of the rested Adil Rashid.

"It's important to give Parky a good chance. He has travelled around with us for long periods and not played a lot of cricket and we have to see what he is like in every situation. Adil will come back into the frame but it's still important to see what Parky can do," Collingwood said. 

"He has had a good start in the one-day series [which England won 3-0] and bowled very well but T20 is a completely different game where you are put under pressure from ball one," he added. 

England skipper Eoin Morgan's woes of scoring runs continue to haunt him and his last outing, where he pushed himself down to No.6, could only fetch him 16 runs off 15 balls. But Collingwood is unconcerned about the England skipper's form, and is of the opinion that Morgan has the ability to play a destructive inning at any moment.

"We all know what Morgan can do. He can play an innings as good as what Livingstone played. Sometimes in T20 cricket, it takes one shot to get yourself off and running. I have no concerns with Eoin's form and what I do know about him is that he will not die wondering," Collingwood admitted.

"He won't eat up balls. He will go out there, try to score boundaries and try to get himself back into form that way," the 45-year-old concluded. 

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