Jos Buttler has revealed he feared losing his England white-ball captaincy but is more determined than ever to lead England’s “next era” alongside Brendon McCullum.
Matthew Mott was sacked as coach after England abandoned both limited-overs World Cups within a matter of months, but managing director of cricket Rob Key decided to keep Buttler employed.
Buttler has linked up with England in Barbados ahead of his return this week but will not take up the wicket-keeping gloves for the T20 series against West Indies starting on Saturday.
Asked whether the decision to strip him of the captaincy could have gone the other way, Butler admitted: “I thought that was a possibility.”
“But ‘Kish’ believed I could lead the team and captain the team into the future. I had a good chat with him and I told him I didn’t want to do it because I was the only one who could do it. I was the right person for the job. I do it because I want to.
“I’ve really enjoyed the honor of doing this. It’s something I believe I can be good at and I know I can always get better at it, just like batting or wicketkeeping, it’s a skill that can be developed.”
“It became very clear that you actually had the determination to do it and keep going.”
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Jos Buttler talks about the impact of England’s new limited-overs coach Brendon McCullum.
Buttler felt “responsible” for Mott’s axing following England’s run to the T20 World Cup semi-finals in June and McCullum was ready to replace the Australian in January and consolidate his coaching role.
McCullum, who has coached England’s Test team since April 2022, outlined his task of encouraging Buttler to turn around England’s slumping ODI and T20 fortunes after labeling Buttler “miserable at times” amid the ongoing slump. .
Buttler, who was sidelined for four months with a calf injury, has a new outlook on the rest of his career and is grateful for the time he has left after speaking to the 34-year-old double World Cup winner McCollum on several occasions. Governs continuous whiteball resets.
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Brendan McCollum says he is very confident in Jos Buttler’s white-ball captaincy and wants him to play for England again.
“No matter how long I play, and hopefully it will be a long time, I just want to be there and help develop the next era of white-ball cricket and I really, really enjoy this part of my cricket,” Buttler said.
“I don’t have to try and protect anything or hold on to anything. I just want this to be an incredibly fulfilling time in my life.
“When you have an injury like that, you realize how badly you want to come back and whether you’re doing something you really enjoy, so that’s kind of my mindset for how long I’ve been back.”
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Captain Jos Buttler hit five sixes in one row to lead England to victory over the United States in the T20 World Cup.
Butler: I’m very happy to play defense.
Buttler’s third calf injury in four years has ruled him out since the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, and several setbacks have seen him miss the white-ball tour of England to Australia in September and the ODI series loss against the West Indies in 2019. . last week.
He is set to return as a specialist batsman in the first T20 in Barbados on Saturday, with Phil Salt taking on wicketkeeper duties, allowing Buttler to interact more freely with the bowlers.
Buttler admitted the decision was made in consultation with McCollum, who gave up the gloves to focus on his duties as New Zealand captain.
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Jos Buttler’s massive six against the United States damaged solar panels on the roof of Kensington Oval.
“His back didn’t allow him to keep wicket. But when he moved closer to the bowler he found it incredibly beneficial and a great place for the captain. He could get close to the bowler and even make a last-minute call. “There is.”
“I’m open to anything if it’s good for me and good for the team. I’m very happy with the defense. I think there are pros and cons to both.
“I’m committed to this series. When it’s over, I can see how it went, how I enjoyed it, what really good things I was able to do with it, and then take the next step.”
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Highlights from the T20 World Cup final semi-final between India and England in Guyana.
West Indies bring in star player for T20
West Indies have drafted several star players including Akeal Hosein, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell for the first two T20 matches against England.
The quartet all missed the recent tour of Sri Lanka due to personal reasons, with only Hetmyer featuring in the Windies’ recent 2-1 ODI series win over England.
But they were recalled ahead of a weekend doubleheader against Team Butler in Bridgetown.
Alzarri Joseph was absent due to a two-match ban imposed by Cricket West Indies following an altercation with captain Shai Hope during the side’s successive win over England at Kensington Oval on Wednesday.
Alzarri Joseph (L) was absent due to a two-match ban imposed by Cricket West Indies after a fight with captain Shai Hope.
Matthew Forde, who was named player of the ODI series, replaces Joseph in the 15-strong squad. The Windies will regroup after games on Saturday and Sunday ahead of next week’s final three games in St Lucia.
“The T20 team is our most stable team with experienced players,” said Windies coach Daren Sammy.
“But it will be difficult to select the XI as every player is challenging for a XI place.
“We are up against a very good England team so I am confident that the selected squad will continue to play with a brand of cricket that will enable us to win the game and this series.”
