Champions Trophy 2025 – Afg vs Eng – Jos Buttler on captaincy future: ‘You’ve got to consider all possibilities’

Buttler gained the 2022 T20 World Cup, his first ICC event as captain, however England have underperformed ever since. They misplaced six out of 9 video games on the 2023 ODI World Cup, had been thrashed by India within the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2024, and have now gone out of the Champions Trophy with one group match remaining, following back-to-back defeats to Australia and Afghanistan.

Matthew Mott misplaced his job as England’s coach after final 12 months’s T20 World Cup and Buttler admitted that he had feared for his personal job on the time. He has since captained the staff on a tricky tour to India the place they gained solely as soon as in eight video games, and appeared to concede that his time in cost was seemingly up within the aftermath of Wednesday evening’s recreation.

“It is robust to say, stood right here proper now, and I do not wish to make any kind of emotional statements,” Buttler advised Sky Sports activities. “However I believe it is honest to say that you have to contemplate all potentialities.

“I’ve loved it [the captaincy]. I’ve seen a lot of folks say it does not sit properly with me, however I do get pleasure from it. I benefit from the problem. Clearly I do not get pleasure from shedding video games of cricket and the outcomes. And naturally after they’re not going properly, you do take a look at your self within the mirror and say, ‘Am I a part of the issue or am I a part of the answer?’ I believe that is what I’ve set to work out.”

Buttler admitted at his post-match press convention that his future is probably not in his personal palms. “You [the press] are most likely not the primary folks I would focus on that with,” he stated. “I will take a little bit little bit of time to work out, personally, what I believe is correct, and clearly the blokes on the prime are in cost, and so they’ll have their very own views as properly.

“I get pleasure from main. Even earlier than, after I wasn’t captain, I would like to think about myself as a frontrunner within the staff, however outcomes are robust and so they weigh heavy at instances. In fact, you wish to be main a profitable staff, and we’ve not been that for some time now, so clearly that brings some troublesome moments.”

Harry Brook captained England of their ODI collection towards Australia in September and is their official vice-captain on the Champions Trophy, whereas Liam Livingstone (ODI) and Phil Salt (T20I) have additionally deputised in Buttler’s absence. After Saturday’s recreation towards South Africa, England’s subsequent white-ball fixtures are towards West Indies in June.

In Lahore, England fell simply brief in pursuit of the 326-run goal set by Afghanistan regardless of Joe Root’s first ODI hundred since 2019. Buttler stated that their failure to succeed in the goal on a flat pitch was a mirrored image of the staff’s wider struggles.

“I believe a assured staff would’ve romped house tonight,” he stated. “That is the way in which sport goes typically. While you’ve been wanting leads to these 50-50 video games, you most likely discover methods to lose versus win while you’re a very assured, flying staff.

“The final 10 overs with the ball acquired away from us: they scored 113 runs in that section. If we may have restricted them, that may’ve made the chase rather a lot simpler. Joe Root performed an unbelievable innings, full of sophistication and character as standard, and we wanted one of many prime six to go longer with him.

“Everybody goes to be very upset and it’ll be uncooked… You have to permit issues like this to push you ahead and drive you ahead in your future – as a person, as a staff, and, as an England white-ball aspect, to get again to the extent that we wish to be at, competing in these tournaments and being right here to win.”

Buttler fell for 38 at a vital time within the run chase after an 83-run stand with Root, opening up an finish for Afghanistan to focus on. He has been wanting runs in 50-over cricket for a while, with 352 ODI runs at 22.00 because the begin of the 2023 World Cup.

“I believe after I’m at my finest, I am probably the greatest gamers on this planet,” he stated. “I am not acting at that degree in the intervening time. I’ve felt in good contact, however I am not getting the scores that I have been used to over time, in order that’s irritating.”