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England captain will miss the third T20I against Pakistan in Cardiff because he is on paternity leave. He has left the team and traveled back to London as he is expecting his third child soon. He didn’t join the practice session on Monday, May 27, and it’s unclear if he will be available for the last match of the series before England heads to the West Indies for the T20 World Cup.

In his absence, experienced all-rounder Moeen Ali will lead the team. This situation confirms that Buttler is likely to be available for the entire T20 World Cup. Moeen Ali, when asked about taking over the captaincy, said he wouldn’t change much and felt honored to lead. He said, “If it happens, then it’s a great honor. I’ll be fine. Nothing will change too much: it’s just taking over from what he’s doing, and then when he comes back, he takes over,” as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

“Hopefully, the baby arrives at a time that doesn’t make him miss too many games. For me, it’s just about going with the flow. Stepping in for Jos isn’t really difficult because we talk often. We discuss various things about the team and other stuff, so we’re always on the same page,”

Moeen added.

The first T20I against Pakistan was canceled due to rain, while England won the second match by 23 runs. With Buttler absent, Jonny Bairstow is likely to open with Phil Salt. Ben Duckett is ready to play if the team decides to keep Bairstow’s role unchanged. If Bairstow opens, Sam Curran might play at number four.

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