Former England opener Nick Knight believes Jos Buttler should bat higher in the order during the Champions Trophy against Afghanistan, as his captaincy is at stake. After a lackluster performance against Australia, where Buttler batted at No. 6, Knight argues that England isn’t maximizing his impact. He suggests that Buttler, being among the world’s best, should enter earlier to influence the game more significantly. Nasser Hussain echoes this sentiment, stating that Buttler’s batting position limits his potential in high-pressure matches. Buttler acknowledges the pressure of his role and the need for better team performance as England faces qualification challenges.
However, Knight, who played 100 ODIs from 1996 to 2003, argues that England is not maximizing Buttler’s potential in his current position and needs to allow him to have a greater influence on matches. “I feel very strongly about this,” Knight commented on ESPNcricinfo’s Matchday show.
“Jos Buttler, in my view, is not contributing sufficiently to shaping an innings. He is undeniably one of the best in the world, let alone in the England team. He is their top player, and when you have the best player, you want them as involved in the innings’ outcome as much as possible.
“I thought England made a mistake in the last match when they disrupted the partnership between [Joe] Root and [Ben] Duckett and brought in Harry Brook. While Harry Brook is an excellent player, he’s a bit out of form right now. Personally, I would have sent Buttler in. Once you hit 20-25 overs, Buttler needs to be next… You have to be flexible with your batting order and get your best player in there.”
Buttler faced challenges during the 2023 50-over World Cup and holds an average of 26.16 in ODIs played in Asia, but Knight minimized the significance of these statistics. “I’ve seen him dominate attacks in the IPL – very good, high-quality attacks,” he stated. “He can perform in Asia; there’s no need to worry about that. He has scored plenty of hundreds in one-day matches in those conditions. It’s really about finding the correct balance for him.
“When you see the best of Jos Buttler, he gives himself five, ten, or fifteen balls to settle in… He is one of England’s greatest players ever, and among the finest in the world in this format. Of course, there will be times when he might be exposed, but let’s get him out there… Let’s offer him that chance to truly excel.”
“If he bats at No. 3 or 4… he could score 10 or 20. But if he gets settled in, Jos Buttler at his best – one of England’s, if not the greatest batter – on that pitch, could easily score 150 because of his immense talent. If, on a surface like that, England’s top white-ball player is sitting and watching 40 overs from the pavilion, as an opposition captain, I’d think, ‘That’s good. I’m happy with that.’
“And for Jos: this tournament is crucial for his future. If they fail to advance past the group stages, he could potentially lose his captaincy. For this reason, if I’m Jos Buttler, my thoughts would be, ‘My job is on the line here, and I need to make a significant impact in this game and throughout this tournament.’ Instead of looking back at the end of the tournament wishing, ‘Why didn’t I promote myself and take the chance?’ They view him as a finisher.”
Buttler is likely to continue batting at No. 6 when England faces Afghanistan in Lahore on Wednesday. He acknowledged on Tuesday that he is “absolutely” feeling the pressure. “As England captain, you always want to perform well and lead your team to victories. We haven’t been doing that frequently enough recently,” he expressed.