'If he were to retire tomorrow...' says England coach Brendon McCullum about Jos Buttler

NEW DELHI: England's head coach Brendon McCullum has praised Jos Buttler, calling him one of the greatest white-ball players England has ever seen and that he has nothing left to prove.In the coming T20I series against Australia, Phil Salt will step in as the team leader due to Buttler's calf injury. This injury also raises concerns about Buttler's participation in the subsequent ODI series.England will rely on opener Phil Salt, who has a solid record in T20 matches. Salt has made 885 runs in 31 T20Is with a strike rate of 165.11. His quick scoring will be critical for England's performance in the upcoming games.On the Australian side, Josh Hazlewood returns to the team after missing the Scotland series. Australia aims to make a strong comeback in T20 cricket following their exit in the Super 8 stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup.England's newly appointed white ball cricket coach said, "I think Jos has had an unbelievable career. If he were to retire tomorrow, he goes down as arguably the greatest white-ball player England has ever had. He has nothing left to prove. I want him to get into a space in the next few years where he isn't trying to protect anything. He just goes out there and absolutely loves playing for England, loves leading the white-ball side and is able to get the most out of the talent around him," McCullum was quoted by Sky Sports as per ANI."That is my responsibility to keep pushing him towards that and keep reaffirming that message to him. Hopefully, he will be back from his injuries soon. The priority will be the Champions Trophy, so we are going to make sure he is ready for that," he continued."It gives us some time to spark those conversations and formulate those structures and plans to marry up our beliefs and the language we are going to use with the team to get the most out of what sits in that dressing room," he added.England and Australia are set to compete in the first T20 International on Wednesday, September 11, at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. The series will continue with the second match scheduled for September 13, followed by the third game on September 15 which will be followed by five game ODI series.Cricket fans can anticipate a closely contested series as both teams will aim to start strong. This series provides an opportunity for both teams to fine-tune their strategies and player combinations ahead of upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.