‘Very dangerous but not favourites’: Buttler weighs England’s T20 hopes

On a glorious spring day in Perth, the eve of their first game, Jos Buttler insisted that no clouds linger on his horizon before a Twenty20 World Cup for which England consider themselves serious contenders. “I certainly don’t see us as favourites,” he said. “I see us as a very dangerous side that the opposition will be wary of playing against.”

Though Liam Livingstone seemed to be moving a little gingerly in training and is not expected to play in the first of three warm-up T20s against Australia, the remainder of the squad seems in good health and spirit. The team for Sunday’s game at Perth Stadium will not be released until the toss, but having spent the entire tour of Pakistan sidelined by a calf injury it will come as a significant boost that their captain will be reporting for duty.

“I’m back to 100%,” Buttler said. “I had a good time in Pakistan rehabbing and getting back to where I need to be. I’ve been taking it slow and cautiously – I probably could have played earlier but it just felt like with the World Cup around the corner it was the right thing to do.”

Midway through the fourth month of his captaincy, Buttler is preparing for the most important few weeks of his career, while trying not to be overburdened by that fact. “I think the 2019 World Cup, and the journey everyone went on to get there, that felt like a huge moment but of course this is different,” he said.

“To be a captain in a World Cup is a very proud moment. I think above all else I want to really enjoy it, I want to not try and put too much pressure on myself or the team and just encourage everyone to enjoy the opportunity. Australia is a fantastic place to tour, it’s going to be a great tournament, and I just want everyone to play good cricket