T20 World Cup: Buttler offers injury update on Wood, Malan ahead of final vs Pakistan

England skipper Jos Buttler has provided an injury update on Dawid Malan and Mark Wood ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 final.

The T20 World Cup final is scheduled to take place on Sunday (Nov. 13) at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) between England and Pakistan. While Buttler admitted that Wood and Malan were never in contention for a place in the semis, the England captain has now said the management would give the duo every possible chance to play the final.

In the absence of Wood and Malan, Chris Jordan and Phil Salt played in the semi-final against India. While the pacer bagged three wickets, Salt did not get a chance to bat as Buttler and Alex Hales wrapped up England's chase of 169 with 10 wickets to spare.

"Yeah, they're both improving. Of course it's not too many days since not being fit enough for the semi-final, but again, we'll give them every chance possible," Buttler said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday.

Both Wood and Malan suffered injuries during England's final Super 12 game against Sri Lanka. While Malan left the field with a groin injury, Wood's injury was as a muscle tear.

England vs Pakistan: Malan, Wood definitely struggling, says Matthew Mott

However, England white-ball coach Matthew Mott has revealed that things do not look good for Wood and Malan.

"Malan and Wood are definitely struggling. We'll keep an open mind. But there's a short turnaround between games, with a travel day and then straight into it with one training session. There isn't a lot of time for them. I would like to maintain a bit of hope them. It is disappointing. They have been two great players for us, particularly over the last month. They are big losses.

"But it is a real risk taking injured players into big games and I think you can really regret that, particularly when you've got players that can come in and do a good job. Sometimes you gamble when you don't have that depth, but when you've got players that are capable of doing a role, I think it makes the decision a lot easier. Everything would have to go right for them to be available at the moment," said Mott.

England, the reigning 50-over world champions, have a chance to add the T20 World Cup trophy to their cabinet on Sunday and Buttler says there is a lot of excitement in the camp as they have a chance to hold both white-ball trophies at the same time.

"Yeah, naturally there's huge excitement for the match. Anytime you get a chance to play in a World Cup final is a huge honour. We're really excited as a group. There seems a nice feel around the team.

"Naturally the previous performance gives us lots of confidence, but it doesn't count for anything tomorrow. We start a fresh game against a really tough opposition, and anytime you're fighting for a trophy, you know that it's not going to come easy," England's limited-overs captain added further.

England recently defeated Pakistan in a T20I series. Buttler, who played no part in it due to an injury, said that it will not count for much as the conditions were completely different.

"Yeah, we've played against them a lot recently, but of course in very different conditions," Buttler, who scored an unbeaten 80 off just 49 deliveries in the semis against India, said.

"I think that's probably the main factor about even though we've played each other quite a few games here at Melbourne, it's going to be a different game to the series, obviously, in Pakistan.

"We know we're up against an excellent team. That's exactly what you expect in a World Cup final, and we'll focus on them a little bit and focus on us a lot and what we need to do to prepare well today to turn up tomorrow and give the best account of ourselves," Buttler explained.

Following England's embarrassing exit from the Cricket World Cup in 2015, England went through a massive transition under Eoin Morgan, who reached the T20 World Cup final in 2016 (lost to West Indies) before winning the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

With Morgan now retired from international cricket, Buttler believes his partnership with Mott will help England lead into a new era.

"Hopefully I've got more time ahead myself as a captain and with Matthew Mott we can hopefully shape the next, as I say, era of English white ball cricket. Of course we're still reaping the rewards of Eoin Morgan's tenure ship and the changes that have happened in the white ball game in England, and that's clear to see in the strength and depth of the talent we now have in the white ball game in England.

"We're very much right in the back of that wave, of course, but there's a bit of a new direction, as well," added Buttler, who replaced Morgan as England's white-ball captain.

I think I'm improving day by day, says England captain Jos Buttler

This is Buttler's first World event as captain and the Englishman is enjoying the added responsibility.

"Yeah, I think I certainly enjoy some bits more than others. But yeah, definitely. I think talking about teams and going through different eras, I think it's part of my own sort of journey as a player and as a person to now be at this stage of my career where I'm a captain learning at something very new that I haven't done before, and that's exciting to get the chance to do that.

"It keeps things interesting, learning new experiences and going through that. I certainly feel like I'm improving day by day really getting the job and feeling more comfortable in the role as it goes on.

"I think maybe as frustrating as the summer was in terms of result, I think I actually learned a lot through that period with the benefit of having a few months after to kind of reflect on things I probably would have done differently or what certain situations arose and how they made me feel and how I reacted to them. Yeah, I feel like I'm growing into the role day by day," Buttler, who has led England in 19 T20Is, said further.

England's recent success across formats could perhaps be from the fact that they have a coach for Test cricket and one for white-ball cricket. The English skipper has suggested their approach could be followed by many teams in the future.

"I think the nature of the schedule of English cricket makes it near enough impossible for one man or woman to do the whole job.

"I think we play so much cricket and have so much traveling and time away, I think that's sort of become untenable really to have one coach. Yeah, it's certainly something I think other teams may look at. It seems to be working well so far for English cricket, and hopefully that will obviously continue.

"I think even when sort of one person was in charge, you were sort of seeing them having to miss certain series or one of the assistants taking over for a little bit. Certainly, in terms of the stability of the groups, I think it's a real plus that we know exactly who our coaching staff is, who our head coach is, and they have full ownership over that team," added Buttler.