Dream Come True for Jos Buttler, Surgery Time for Matt Prior
Jos Buttler, 23, has played 63 times in limited-overs cricket for his country and will now make his debut on Sunday in the third Test against India at Southampton.
New England wicket-keeper Jos Buttler finally gets the Test status after serving as a One-Day cricketer and this, he says, is a "dream come true".
Lancastrian Buttler, 23, has played 63 times in limited-overs cricket for his country and will now make his debut on Sunday in the third Test against India at Southampton.
Buttler comes in because the out-of-form Matt Prior has decided to take a break from international cricket so that he could regain his fitness and recover from Achilles, thigh and hand injuries, reports Sky Sports. (Prior Pulls Out)
"I'm not doing justice to myself and more importantly the team and that is what matters first and foremost," Prior told the Mirror.
"I tore my quad before the first Test and my right hand has been beaten to a pulp, but the main issue is the Achilles," he said.
"Now we have the time, I want to be proactive about how we deal with it so I imagine that I'll have an operation. I've always said as long as I can do my job I will manage the pain and get on with it, but it has now got to the point where I can't do my job to the level I expect of myself."
Buttler credits his England call-up to his shifting to Lancashire, leaving his home county of Somerset.
"It is a dream come true," he told the Lancashire website.
"I'm sure it won't sink in until I meet up with everyone and Sunday morning comes.
"Obviously, I'm really excited and nervous as well, but that's to be expected. I can't wait for it to be Sunday now.
Buttler says his was a long-term goal to get into England Test side, but it has come sooner that he imagined.
"It's been a long term goal and ambition and it's probably come sooner than I imagined as well, which is great for me.
"It shows that I've been going in the right direction and improving fast, which I feel I've done this year at Lancashire.
"I still feel like I've got improvements to make, but it's great that I've been named in the squad. I can't wait to get started.
"It was a really tough decision to leave Somerset, who helped me a lot but, with my long-term goal being Test cricket, I knew I had to leave. I guess it's justified it, and it's justified it pretty quickly.
"I didn't expect to be playing Test cricket this quickly, but in sport opportunities come in different ways and at different times, and I'm delighted."