"No point hiding away that it will be a challenge" - Jos Buttler on ODI series against Australia amid quick turnaround

England captain Jos Buttler recently lamented the scheduling of the upcoming ODI series against Australia, pointing out that it's a rapid turnaround from the T20 format. But Buttler also urged his fellow team members to play with freedom, and he expects them to be competitive against their arch-rivals.

The three-match series, starting on November 17th, starts only three days after England featured in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). A couple of days ago, England all-rounder Moeen Ali also rued the 'horrible' scheduling.

Speaking ahead of the series, Jos Buttler stated that it would be a challenge to turn up with the same intensity on Thursday. However, he expects the 'competitive juice' to start flowing soon enough.

As quoted by The Evening Standard, Buttler said:

"It’s tough, absolutely, but we just get on with it. It is a fast turnaround. There’s no point hiding away that it will be a challenge for us having had such a high a few days ago. We just go into it trying to really enjoy the games and play with lots of freedom, not that we need any excuse to do that. Once you get over the line and you’re playing against Australia, I’m sure those competitive juices will get going."

Buttler and Co. will be high on confidence after claiming their second T20 World Cup trophy. They were also the far superior side in the T20 series against Australia preceding the marquee tournament.

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"There’s fresh energy, some fantastic players coming in want to stamp their mark" - Jos Buttler

England cricket team. (Credits: Getty)

Jos Buttler also expects players like Luke Wood, James Vince, Phil Salt, and Olly Stone to make their mark in the series. The 32-year-old believes that their presence reflects England's white-ball depth.

"There’s fresh energy, some fantastic players coming in want to stamp their mark," he said. "There’s such depth in talent in the white-ball game, it’s tough to get in the final XI and good players miss out. It's always the mark of a good team when good players are missing."

The series also marks the return of opener Jason Roy, after he was excluded from the World Cup squad due to form concerns. Roy will be keen to resurrect his England career in Australia.