Jos Buttler, England’s cricket captain, faced criticism after England’s poor performances following their 2022 T20 World Cup victory. They struggled in the 2023 ODI World Cup and exited the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finals, leading to doubts about Buttler’s future. Despite enjoying the captaincy, Buttler acknowledged his concerns about team results and his potential job security. Following back-to-back defeats against Australia and Afghanistan, Buttler reflected on the team’s lack of confidence and his own form, having scored only 352 ODI runs since the 2023 World Cup. He emphasized the need for improvement to regain their competitive edge.
Buttler secured the 2022 T20 World Cup, marking his inaugural ICC tournament victory as captain; however, England has struggled considerably since then. They faced a disappointing outcome in the 2023 ODI World Cup, losing six out of nine matches, suffered a heavy defeat to India in the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup, and have been eliminated from the Champions Trophy with one group match left, following consecutive losses to Australia and Afghanistan.
Matthew Mott was dismissed from his role as England’s coach after last year’s T20 World Cup, and Buttler admitted that he was concerned for his own position at that time. He has since led the team on a challenging tour in India, where they won just once out of eight matches, and seemed to acknowledge that his tenure might be nearing an end following Wednesday night’s match.
“It’s tough to say, in this moment, and I don’t want to make any emotional declarations,” Buttler shared with Sky Sports. “However, it’s reasonable to consider all options.”
“I’ve appreciated the captaincy. Many have suggested that I don’t fit the role well, but I’ve genuinely enjoyed it. I relish the challenge. Naturally, I dislike losing games of cricket and the recent results have been disappointing. When things aren’t going well, you reflect on yourself and question, ‘Am I contributing to the problem or the solution?’ That’s what I need to figure out.”
During his post-match press conference, Buttler acknowledged that his future may be uncertain. “You’re probably not the first group I would discuss this with,” he remarked. “I’ll take some time to personally assess what I believe is right, and the higher-ups will have their own perspectives.”
“I take pleasure in leading. Even prior to being captain, I saw myself as a leader within the team, but the pressure of results can be heavy. Naturally, I aspire to lead a winning team, and it’s been a while since we’ve been that, which understandably leads to challenging moments.”
Harry Brook led England during their ODI series against Australia in September and serves as their official vice-captain at the Champions Trophy, with Liam Livingstone (ODI) and Phil Salt (T20I) also stepping up in Buttler’s absence. Following Saturday’s match against South Africa, England’s next white-ball encounters are scheduled against the West Indies in June.
In Lahore, England fell just short of chasing down a 326-run target set by Afghanistan, despite Joe Root’s first ODI century since 2019. Buttler indicated that their inability to achieve the target on a conducive pitch mirrored the team’s broader difficulties.
“I believe a confident team would have easily clinched the win tonight,” he remarked. “That’s just how sports unfold sometimes. When you’re struggling for wins in tight matches, it often leads to finding ways to lose rather than to win, especially when you’re a confident, thriving team.”
“The last 10 overs with the ball slipped away: they scored 113 runs during that phase. If we had managed to restrain them, it would have made our chase significantly easier. Joe Root played an exceptional innings, showcasing class and character as always, and we needed one of the top six to accompany him longer.”
“Everyone will feel extremely disappointed, and this will be a tough pill to swallow… We must leverage experiences like this to propel us forward – individually and as a team, and for the England white-ball side, to reclaim the standard we aspire to, competing in these tournaments and striving for victory.”
Buttler’s innings ended at 38 during a crucial moment in the run chase, following an 83-run partnership with Root, exposing an end for Afghanistan to exploit. His recent form in 50-over cricket has been lacking, with 352 ODI runs at an average of 22.00 since the commencement of the 2023 World Cup.
“I believe I’m one of the world’s best players when I’m performing at my peak,” he noted. “Currently, I’m not at that level. I feel in good form, but I’m not accumulating the scores that I’ve historically achieved, which is frustrating.”
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98