T20 World Cup 2022: "It's too early to tell" - Jos Buttler on whether Dawid Malan will be available for the semi-final

England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler spoke about Dawid Malan's availability for their upcoming semi-final clash at the T20 World Cup 2022. The side secured a nervy win over Sri Lanka on Saturday, November 5 to seal their third consecutive progress to the knockout stages of the competition, after making it in the 2016 and 2021 editions as well.

Despite the win, England are currently sweating over the fitness of Dawid Malan, who pulled his groin while fielding in the first innings. The left-handed batter did not come out to bat during the second innings, but appeared to be ready to come on had another wicket fallen during the dying stages of the contest.

Jos Buttler's side have already had their share of injuries in the tournament so far. They lost the services of pacer Reece Topley ahead of the tournament. He sustained a freak injury after slipping on the boundary advertisement markers.

Commenting on his teammate's injury status following the win over Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Jos Buttler told BBC:

“It’s too early to tell, but hopefully he’ll pull up well. He would have batted if he’d needed to. Running would have been difficult, but he would have gone out there.”

England opted to send in Chris Woakes ahead of the left-handed batter during the last two overs of the run chase. The move paid dividends as the pacer was swift across the wickets with Ben Stokes at the other end and eventually finished things off with a boundary.

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Dawid Malan is to be assessed by the medical staff for the next 24 hours

After securing the second and final spot in Group 1 of the Super 12s, England will face the table-topper of Group 2 in the second semi-final on Wednesday, November 10 at the Adelaide Oval.

That gives them a relatively good cushion and a rest period, but ultimately Malan's availability for the contest comes down to the severity of the injury. At first sight, the signs were no good after the former No.1 ranked player, who immediately signaled the dressing room after picking up the injury. He was replaced by Chris Jordan on the field for the rest of the first innings.

The England cricket team's medical staff will observe Malan's state for the next 24 hours, during which they will determine the extent of the injury. Only after completely assessing his condition will the management make the final call.

Who should replace Dawid Malan in the England playing XI should he be unavailable to play the semi-final match? Let us know what you think.