In 2022, Jos Buttler led England to their first T20 World Cup win after 12 years. Since then, triumphs have largely been elusive. As captain, Buttler has failed to defend two titles, the ODI World Cup in 2023 and the T20 World Cup last year, and has now crashed out of another. The writing on the wall about Buttler’s captaincy has become clearer, and he knows that.
This is not only about tournaments. England have, lately, been incredibly mundane in bilaterals, too. Since the conclusion of the ODI World Cup, England have only won four out of 16 ODI games.
Following England’s elimination from the semi-final in the T20 World Cup last year, the ECB quickly sacked the head coach Matthew Motts, and while a similar fate was expected to come Buttler’s way, too, he was given a reprieve. This time, however, the English board’s patience might wear thin. Speaking to Sky Sports after England’s loss against Afghanistan, Buttler said he will be open to all sort of possibilities about his future as England’s white-ball captain,
“It’s tough to say, stood here right now, and I don’t want to make any sort of emotional statements. But I think it’s fair to say that you’ve got to consider all possibilities.”
“I’ve enjoyed it [the captaincy]. I’ve seen lots of people say it doesn’t sit well with me, but I do enjoy it. I enjoy the challenge. Obviously, I don’t enjoy losing games of cricket and the results. And, of course, when they’re not going well, you do look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘am I part of the problem or am I part of the solution?’ I think that’s what I’ve got to work out.”
But going forward, he knows the decision about his future is not entirely in his hands.
“You [the press] are probably not the first people I’d discuss that with,” Buttler said. “I’ll take a little bit of time to work out, personally, what I think is right, and obviously the guys at the top are in charge, and they’ll have their own views as well.”
Buttler took over England’s captaincy from Eoin Morgan, under whose leadership England won their first-ever ODI World Cup in 2019. Before that he had been Morgan’s understudy for nearly seven years, so it was only fitting for Buttler to take over following his retirement.
“I enjoy leading,” Buttler told Sky Sports. “Even before, when I wasn’t captain, I’d like to think of myself as a leader in the team. But results are tough, and they weigh heavy at times. Of course, you want to be leading a winning team, and we haven’t been that for a while now, so obviously that brings some difficult moments.”
But he believes that things will have to change drastically for the greater good. A T20 World Cup is coming up next year, following which there will be an ODI World Cup in 2027, so the only right time for overhauling the system for England is now.
“Everyone is going to be very disappointed, and it is going to be raw… You’ve got to allow things like this to push you forward and drive you forward in your future – as an individual, as a team, and, as an England white-ball side, to get back to the level that we want to be at, competing in these tournaments and being here to win.”
England still have one game left in this tournament to play, which they will do against South Africa in Karachi tomorrow, before heading back home.
