(ESPN) Phil Salt will keep the wicket for England’s T20I series against the West Indies, despite Jos Buttler’s return to the team.

White-ball captain Buttler has featured in 106 of his last 108 T20 internationals, fielding only the two matches that took place in Trinidad during England’s previous tour of the Caribbean in December 2023.

“It’s not something I’ve done much for England recently,” Salt said in Barbados before the third ODI. “But I enjoy keeping it. I feel like that’s where I offer the most on the side.”

Salt remained in 13 of his 59 games for England across all formats and was handed the gloves in this current ODI series ahead of Jordan Cox, who will replace Test wicket-keeper Jamie Smith for the upcoming series in New Zealand.

Butler has been out for several months with a calf strain. Had he been fit to play the T20 series against Australia in September, Salt would have kept the wicket with Buttler willing to experiment with captaincy from different positions on the field.

At the time, Buttler said: “I was going to put down the gloves and commit to meeting him halfway and seeing how it felt. “If it helps me with my captaincy, that is something I am open to.”

Butler arrived in the Caribbean on Sunday and trained at Kensington Oval on Monday. He is not available for selection for the decisive ODI on Wednesday and will resume captaincy duties ahead of the five-match T20I series starting on Saturday, making his first appearance since England’s defeat in the T20 World Cup semi-final in June. Essex batsman and wicketkeeper Michael Pepper, originally only selected for the ODI team, has been added to the T20 squad and will remain with the group for the remainder of the tour.

On whether his decision to stay is a long-term decision, Salt said: “We haven’t had that conversation about anything in the future. “I’m glad I can do it right now.”

Salt posted scores of 18 and 59 in the first two ODIs, and his half-century helped set up England’s chase of 329 to tie the series in the second game in Antigua.

After England were bowled out for 209 in the first match, captain Liam Livingstone criticized the performance and said the team needed to “bat more intelligently”.