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[PICTURES/VIDEOS] Jos Buttler appointed captain of the England Men's white-ball teams

Rana said:
England management will never accept him to lead Stokes, Bairstow, Butler and Roy once they are all avail again.

He is a deserving captain for England but they will always pick any one of these guys to lead them before him
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Stokes is the red ball captain only, and his involvement in white ball is strictly limited. Bairstow is not viewed as leadership material. Roy has been dropped from the England setup altogether, possibly for good.

Until and unless Buttler is fit, the white ball captaincy belongs to Moeen.

If Moeen comes back to red ball at some point, he would also have a good chance of securing the vice-captaincy there under Stokes.
 
shaz619 said:
[MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION] [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] what do you guys think, not the most ideal prep when it comes to leadership for England with the WC around the corner but Butler’s fitness has been a curve ball and they find themselves between a rock and a hard place
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Personally I think Moeen is doing a good job in the leadership role. He is a better and more natural captain than Buttler (injured at the moment but will be back) who is best suited to playing either as a wicketkeeper-batsman or a specialist batsman.

The problem is measured in years. Moeen will remain a capable white ball cricketer for global T20 leagues, but is at an age now (35) where he could conceivably retire from international cricket at any point. Whereas Buttler is 32, and potentially has a full World Cup cycle ahead of him after 2023, leading to his retirement in 2027 at a similar age to Eoin Morgan.

It’s probably the right strategy for Moeen to be the vice / stand-in captain at the moment, stepping up for games when necessary & otherwise mentoring Jos on and off the field so that Jos can become a good full time captain over time.
 
Rana said:
England management will never accept him to lead Stokes, Bairstow, Butler and Roy once they are all avail again.

He is a deserving captain for England but they will always pick any one of these guys to lead them before him
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Mo has always been used by England like a side chick if we are being honest so I agree with you there and it is hardly surprising they would ever give him full confidence or responsibility unless their hands are forced. But at this point I guess it is somewhat accepting given the long term view and how they are unlikely to get more then a few more years out of him, however I don’t think it would have been ludicrous to give him a format at allow Butler to learn a bit more that way to
 
James said:
Personally I think Moeen is doing a good job in the leadership role. He is a better and more natural captain than Buttler (injured at the moment but will be back) who is best suited to playing either as a wicketkeeper-batsman or a specialist batsman.

The problem is measured in years. Moeen will remain a capable white ball cricketer for global T20 leagues, but is at an age now (35) where he could conceivably retire from international cricket at any point. Whereas Buttler is 32, and potentially has a full World Cup cycle ahead of him after 2023, leading to his retirement in 2027 at a similar age to Eoin Morgan.

It’s probably the right strategy for Moeen to be the vice / stand-in captain at the moment, stepping up for games when necessary & otherwise mentoring Jos on and off the field so that Jos can become a good full time captain over time.
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Yes agreed on the years front, but don’t you think it would serve Butler better if he was Mo’s deputy in T20’s? Butler could still be the captain for the 50 over side. In any case while the current situation is far from ideal, given the sort of bloke Mo is, I suppose he would do his best to pass on the reigns and support Butler as much as possible in the upcoming tournament
 
shaz619 said:
[MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION] [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] what do you guys think, not the most ideal prep when it comes to leadership for England with the WC around the corner but Butler’s fitness has been a curve ball and they find themselves between a rock and a hard place
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What [MENTION=1842]James[/MENTION] said really. The white ball teams are better with Buttler in them, but I think Beard is a better skipper who understands bowlers. Play them both and keep Moeen as skipper until he retires.
 
shaz619 said:
Yes agreed on the years front, but don’t you think it would serve Butler better if he was Mo’s deputy in T20’s? Butler could still be the captain for the 50 over side. In any case while the current situation is far from ideal, given the sort of bloke Mo is, I suppose he would do his best to pass on the reigns and support Butler as much as possible in the upcoming tournament
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Moeen is also working in broadcasting now, certainly for the BBC as he has throughout the summer and I’m sure there will be others to come (possibly freelance) — fair to say then that as well as still being a quality white ball cricketer, he is already lining up the next phase of his career. Vice captaincy and mentoring is probably a good role for him — full time captaincy might be a bit too mentally demanding at this stage.
 
Still no Buttler for England

England's injured white-ball skipper Jos Buttler said he was taking a "cautious" approach in his comeback from a calf problem and that has remained the case with the 32-year-old sitting out this game, too. He has not played since mid-August.
 
Hopefully he takes a cautious approach in the IPL too
 
Moment of silence for those who wanted mediocre Moeen to replace him as captain.
 
Mamoon said:
Moment of silence for those who wanted mediocre Moeen to replace him as captain.
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Did you watch the match? The commentators were saying how Moeen basically sets the field because its too much for Butler and how much he relies on Moeen to make decisions. :tahir2

England got this far because Mooen helped Hales integrate back into the team after being unfairly kept out all this time.

Butler is the world's MVP in limited overs cricket but he is a timid captain who is being carried by his strong team. Moeen absolutely needs to be given the leadership but a role model like him will happily help from the back and let Butler take all the credit.
 
I criticise Buttler when England plays badly in white ball, so it’s only fair that I give him a lot of praise for captaining England to this final in a tournament where the standard of cricket has been very high across the board.
 
Forum363 said:
Did you watch the match? The commentators were saying how Moeen basically sets the field because its too much for Butler and how much he relies on Moeen to make decisions. :tahir2

England got this far because Mooen helped Hales integrate back into the team after being unfairly kept out all this time.

Butler is the world's MVP in limited overs cricket but he is a timid captain who is being carried by his strong team. Moeen absolutely needs to be given the leadership but a role model like him will happily help from the back and let Butler take all the credit.
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Yes, England got this far because of Moeen’s behind the scenes captaincy but he had to be booted out of the playing XI in the 2019 World Cup so that England could get their tournament back on track.
 
England skipper Jos Buttler discussed how he felt responsible to inform their regular opener about his omission from the squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Jason Roy’s run with the England side has been prolific. He has 4271 runs at an average closing 40, with a strike-rate that crosses 100. Despite this, the batter finds himself out of their Cricket World Cup-bound squad for India.

Roy had two ODI hundreds in 2023, but the batter is struggling with back spasm issues which saw him miss the four-game ODI series against New Zealand. With doubts remaining around the batter’s fitness, the selectors went ahead with Harry Brook in the 15-member roster.

Speaking to the PA news agency at a Castore event, Buttler stated that he informed Roy of the decision, because the two are really good friends and he felt a certain sense of responsibility.

“It's part of the job as captain that is not enjoyable, whether they're great friends or not, it's not a nice job to do,” Buttler added.

"I certainly feel like it's my responsibility to give that news. He's a really great mate of mine so it was a really tough call to make.”

Buttler said that Roy will be a top-order reserve for the team. He added that it was the very nature of the sport that some good players had to miss out on the flight to India.

“Jason will be the top-order reserve, absolutely. Harry, we feel gives us versatility: he can cover Nos. 1 to 6 in the batting order, which is obviously something that's advantageous in a squad.

“But good players miss out, it's the very brutal nature of sport. There's plenty of people outside the 15 who will have felt that they were in with a really good chance of a spot. It's a bad headache to have but a good problem as a selection committee when you have a deep pool of players to choose from.”

Before the World Cup, England face-off against Ireland in a three-game series that begins on Wednesday. They’ll also feature in two warm-up fixtures, against India and Bangladesh respectively, prior to the global event.

England's World Cup campaign begins on the opening day on 5 October when they take on New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
 
Jos Buttler’s record as a captain in ICC limited overs tournaments is unblemished, having led England to ICC Men’s T20 World Cup glory in 2022.

That was his first campaign in charge, and now the hard-hitting middle-order batter will look to add one-day success to his T20 crown when England try to retain their title in India.

After the retirement of Eoin Morgan, who brought the team together in such impressive fashion on home soil in 2019, Buttler was an obvious candidate to take over in both forms of white-ball cricket.

In a side that was typified by its attacking approach and desire to dictate matches, who better than the team’s most destructive batter to lead from the front?

So far, Buttler has flourished with the captaincy. His record with the bat as skipper in T20 cricket is marginally better than without the captain’s armband. The difference is starker in ODIs. From an already impressive average of 40.67, Buttler’s average jumps to 45.21 when given the added responsibility of leading the side.

That has been perhaps the most important development of the Buttler reign. As arguably England’s most important player, it was crucial that he continue to deliver with the bat.

Captain or not, Buttler is capable of winning games on his own. His 11 ODI hundreds are the most of any active player who bats at No.4 or lower, with nine of those hundreds coming in victories.

If Morgan was the federator, Buttler leads by example. His fearless approach to the game embodies this England side.

He has not been part of the Bazball revolution in Test cricket, and yet England’s red-ball strategy seems inspired by Buttler’s dominating approach when facing the white ball.

And when it comes to the biggest stage, Buttler delivers time and again. He was England’s top run-scorer at both the ICC Men’s T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022, while four years ago he saved his most important innings for the final at Lord’s, making 59 as he and Ben Stokes put on 110 for the fifth wicket that allowed England to rebuild and take the match to a Super Over.

The one anomaly in his ODI record is how he has fared in India to date. Curiously, in eight matches on Indian soil, he has managed just 83 runs at an average of under 12.

On the surface, that would appear to be a concern heading into the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 which will be hosted entirely in India.

Take a step back, however, and those worries begin to evaporate. Firstly, because Buttler has had no such struggles in Indian conditions in T20 cricket, averaging 42.60 for England.

And secondly, because he has established himself as one of the greatest overseas performers in the Indian Premier League in recent years.

Only Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle have more IPL hundreds than Buttler, who has been a mainstay for Rajasthan Royals at the top of the order.

So if conditions are not an issue, it would appear more to be a quirk of a small sample size that has seen Buttler struggle in ODIs in India to this point.

With such a single-minded drive and a daring approach to the game, there is no reason why Buttler should not turn that record around over the course of the next month and a half.

That will all start against New Zealand in Ahmedabad in the opener on October 5. Four years on from playing a key part in England getting the better of the Black Caps to lift the trophy for the first time, expect Buttler to lead from the front as they attempt to defend their title.

ICC
 
England captain Jos Buttler:

"I think you're always questioning as captain how you can get the best out of players, how you can get the team moving in the right direction.

"I certainly have a lot of confidence and belief in myself as a leader and captain and first and foremost as a player, but if you're asking if I should still be captaining the team, that's a question for the guys above me.

"The tournament's gone nowhere near the way we wanted it to...that much is obvious. As a leader, you want to lead through your own performance and I've not been able to do that."
 
James said:
Superb appointment. Best to him.
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Haha. Maybe not.

He did win the T20 World Cup as captain, that’s something.

Last turkey in the shop this year though. His stock is at an all time low.
 
James said:
Haha. Maybe not.

He did win the T20 World Cup as captain, that’s something.

Last turkey in the shop this year though. His stock is at an all time low.
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Who'll replace him?

He's almost Babar level as captain. Zak Crawley or Sam Curran I'd fancy.
 
GLORY OF '92 said:
Who'll replace him?

He's almost Babar level as captain. Zak Crawley or Sam Curran I'd fancy.
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There is some talk about Mott being lined up as the one who will take the fall, with Buttler being given another chance. Otherwise if Jos does get replaced I think Crawley is a good shout.
 
Never seen him in form as awful as this, fully expected him to light up the tournament with quick 50s down the order.
 
Nasser Hussain during innings break session:

"In a Lancashire, Somerset or England shirt.I've never seen Jos Buttler in such poor nick"

"One of the major reasons England haven't done well is because their best white-ball player has had a drop off in from like we've never seen before!"
 
Jos Buttler's poor form in India continues to the Caribbean

He was dismissed by Motie for just 3(13) in 1st ODI vs West Indies
 
Jos Buttler since the start of ICC ODI World Cup 2023:

Innings 10
Runs 141
Ave 14.10
SR 90.96
Highest Score 43

He needs to find a form.
 
Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten 58 runs off 45 balls in the 2nd ODI against West Indies.

A confidence boosting performance by him.

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Joss Buttler becomes the 3rd fastest to 5000 ODI runs for England (by innings)

116 innings- Joe Root
149 innings - Lan Bell
153 innings- Jos Buttler **
158 innings- Eoin Morgan

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English Captain Jos Buttler plays a scintillating knock in the 3rd t20 against West Indies. Made 51 off 34 deliveries. Including 5 fours and 2 sixes. So finally after a long time Buttler returns to good form.
 
Jos Buttler played a captain's knock against the West Indies in the 4th T20I.

He scored briliant 55 off just 29 deliveries to help his team post a massive total of 267/3.
 
Under the leadership of Jos Buttler in white ball cricket, 2023 was not a year for them to remember, including a rollercoaster ride in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.

England in ODIs (2023)
Matches 24
Lost 12
Win 11
NR 1

England in T20Is (2023)
Matches 12
Lost 8
Win 4
 
Really should retire from ODI's

Since 9, June 2019

Jos Buttler averages 27 with the bat against all sides barring Netherlands.

Root, Bairstow, Buttler, Stokes all need to be phased out quickly and shouldn't even play CT let alone the next World Cup.
 
Jos Buttler has an average of just 9 in eight chases in IPL since 2023.
 
Having a bad string of form recently but Jos Buttler still remains underrated in the ATG conversation for LOI batsmen.

40 at a 117 SR in ODI
35 at 144 SR in T20

Also won a T20 WC and ODI WC within 2 years.
 
Former England seamer Stuart Broad, while speaking with local Indian sports media, backs struggling Buttler to discover form in IPL 2024:

"He's been in a bit of a lean patch since the 50-overs World Cup in India."

"Although he hasn't quite found his form in this tournament yet, he's been dismissed twice by some pretty good bowling. I think this will be the tournament where he plays well."

"He has a great relationship with (Yashasvi) Jaiswal at the top of the order, and if both of them fire, Rajasthan Royals will certainly make the playoffs, if not challenge for the trophy."

"I think we need to be patient with him."

"Once he starts facing a lot of balls, he's going to score a lot of runs in this tournament."
 
Jos Buttler marked his 100th IPL match with his first half-century of the season in IPL 2024, achieving it in just 30 deliveries against RCB. What a remarkable way to make a comeback to form on such a milestone occasion!
 
He started slowly, but now he's in a dominant position. I reckon he'll score a century today.
 
Buttler: England will play with intensity

England captain Jos Buttler, speaking before the Scotland match:

"We expect a tough challenge and we're all excited for that.

"Scotland have come here to try and win games. They want to beat us and we want to beat them, it's pretty straightforward.

"We're fully focused on this game and need to make sure we bring 100 per cent intensity to that first of all.

"Every game we have to be right on it. All we are focused on is Scotland. That is the biggest and most important thing right now."
 
England captain Jos Buttler surpassed Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan after beating West Indies by eight wickets in their first Super 8 match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024:

Most runs as wicket-keepers in T20Is

Jos Buttler (England) — 2967 runs

Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) — 2952

Quinton de Kock (South Africa) — 2450

Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan) — 2030

MS Dhoni (India) — 1617
 
Buttler did damage at the Barbados stadium, lol

Netravalkar takes the pace off but that doesn't bother Buttler. He whacks it again for six

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Buttler is not having a good time since he won the 2022 T20 World Cup. Pretty ordinary record this is.

hvtPbgq.jpeg
 
Maybe it's time for Jos Buttler to step down, as under his leadership, England have won just three games against full member teams across the most recent ODI and T20 World Cups.

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FearlessRoar said:
Maybe it's time for Jos Buttler to step down, as under his leadership, England have won just three games against full member teams across the most recent ODI and T20 World Cups.
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Who will step down first? Babar or Butler?
 
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Stokes backs Buttler to remain white-ball captain​


Ben Stokes has backed Jos Buttler to remain as England white-ball captain, despite the heavy defeat by India in the T20 World Cup semi-final.

The defending champions were hammered by 68 runs in Guyana, a third defeat in four matches against other Test-playing nations at the tournament in the Caribbean and United States.

The surrender of the T20 title won in 2022 comes after a miserable defence of the 50-over World Cup in India last year, when England won only three of their nine matches.

“Jos is the man to lead that white-ball team forward,” Stokes told BBC Sport.

“He is a great leader. He’s got the respect of all the team members in the dressing room.”

Stokes was man of the match when England lifted the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and was instrumental in the T20 final success two years ago in Australia.

The England Test captain came out of one-day international retirement to play in the 50-over World Cup defence last autumn, but skipped the latest T20 World Cup as part of his rehabilitation from knee surgery.

And despite England’s men now not being the holders of at least one global white-ball title for the first time in five years, Stokes believes the team are progressing under captain Buttler and coach Matthew Mott.

“They have done a great job in getting to another major semi-final,” said Stokes.

“Being part of sport is about growing and progressing your side. It’s not shabby to say you got through to a World Cup semi-final.”

After rain forced the abandonment of their World Cup opener against Scotland, England were on the brink of elimination following a heavy defeat by Australia.

But big wins over Oman and Namibia, along with Australia’s tight defeat of Scotland, put Buttler’s side through to the Super 8s.

Successes over West Indies and USA, either side of defeat by South Africa, sent England to the last four, where they were outclassed by India, bowled out for only 103 in pursuit of 172 on a low, turning pitch.

It means England’s defeat of West Indies is their only victory over another team that plays Test cricket, with their other three wins coming against teams outside of international cricket’s elite.

“It’s an interesting format, the T20 World Cup, one I’m not a huge fan of because teams can go through or not go through potentially because of a weather situation,” added Stokes.

“When England were put under pressure, especially at the back end of the group stages, they showed what a good team they were.

"India are a very good team, especially in the conditions that pitch offered. It gave India a huge advantage.”

Stokes, who was invited to speak to the England football team before the ongoing European Championship, compared the criticism of the cricketers to the pressure Gareth Southgate’s team are under before Sunday’s last-16 tie against Slovakia.

“Unfortunately, it’s the way the English mentality is – they have got through and they are getting a load of grief,” said the 33-year-old.

"I know what it’s like. I guess that comes from expectation and everyone wanting their team to do well.”

Stokes was speaking at Hawthorn Primary School in Newcastle, where he delivered a coaching session and took questions from pupils

The Durham man is backing calls from the England and Wales Cricket Board and four other national sporting governing bodies for the government elected at the general election to guarantee every child at least two hours of physical education in schools each week.

Stokes is preparing for the first Test against West Indies on 10 July, which will be the last for England’s all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson.

At nearly 42, Anderson is retiring from international cricket after Stokes, Test coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key told him England will be looking to younger pace bowlers.

Stokes was not drawn on his reasons for that decision, but said: “I’d rather talk about the memories of Jimmy, what he is to the game and what he is to English cricket.

“He’s a complete and utter role model for all fast bowlers. The commitment he has shown to his craft is just phenomenal. He’s an incredible professional, an incredible athlete and one of our greatest ever to play the game.”

After a long-term left-knee problem restricted the amount he has been able to bowl, Stokes had surgery in November.

On England’s tour of India earlier this year, Stokes bowled in the fifth Test, his first competitive spell for eight months, and took a wicket with his first delivery.

He has since played two County Championship matches for Durham, bowling 63.1 overs and taking 15 wickets as he hopes to play a full role as an all-rounder for England in the home summer and beyond.

“It’s going really good,” he said of his recovery.

“I’m desperate to get back into it now. I’m buzzing to get going and walking back out in an England shirt.”

www.bbc.com

T20 World Cup: Ben Stokes backs Jos Buttler to remain England white-ball captain

Ben Stokes backs Jos Buttler to remain as England white-ball captain, despite the heavy defeat by India in the T20 World Cup semi-final.
www.bbc.com
 
England's performance in the limited overs cricket since May 2022 hasn't been among the best.

In fact, they have a win percentage below 50.

r2wwu5L.png
 
FearlessRoar said:
England's performance in the limited overs cricket since May 2022 hasn't been among the best.

In fact, they have a win percentage below 50.

r2wwu5L.png
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Things have gone downhill for England ever since Morgan retired. I believe Stokes is also done with white ball cricket.
 
The Paarl Royals have suffered a significant blow as their star English batsman, Jos Buttler, will not be available for the next season of SA20.

Despite his crucial role, he will be absent from the SA20 2025 tournament owing to commitments with the national team.
 
Does England need a change in leadership? They are now #6 in ODI ranking. May end up being #7 if SL beat India in 3rd game.
 
Update:

England Men's white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, has been ruled out of the upcoming Vitality IT20 series against Australia due to a setback with a right calf injury. This injury also places his participation in the Metro Bank ODIs later this month in doubt.

Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton has been called up as a replacement in the T20 squad. The three-match IT20 series is set to begin next week at the Utilita Bowl, Southampton, on 11 September 2024.
 

England coach Brendon McCullum backs captain Jos Buttler as he plots 'regeneration' of white-ball side​


Brendon McCullum is "very confident" that Jos Buttler remains the man to lead England in white-ball cricket and hopes to make the captain less "miserable" as he steps up to coach the side.

McCullum will take charge of all formats from early next year, adding the limited-overs role to the Test job he has held since 2022, with the New Zealander extending his contract until 2027.

One of McCullum's chief goals as white-ball boss is to help Buttler enjoy himself again, with England having lost both their 50-over and T20 World Cup titles during the last year and the skipper often cutting a sombre figure, particularly during the first-round exit in the 50-over edition in India in 2023.

Speaking at The Kia Oval on Wednesday, McCullum said: "I am very confident in Buttler as captain. What I want from Jos is for him to enjoy the next few years.

"If he retired tomorrow he would probably go down as the greatest white-ball player England have produced so there is chance for however long he plays to not protect anything and play with a smile on his face. My job is to push him towards that.

"He has been a little bit miserable at times, he is not naturally as expressive as some, but he has done a great job.

"He has won a World Cup as captain [the T20 edition in Australia in 2022] and been part of World Cup-winning teams previously. He is a gifted player and a fine leader.

"My job is to get the best out of him so players in the dressing room feel bulletproof and 10-feet tall and know the skipper is going to give them that extra pat on the back and enjoy the ride with them."

Source: Sky Sports
 
England’s limited-overs captain Jos Buttler has won 2024 Vitality IT20 Men’s Player of the Summer following some outstanding performances against Pakistan and at the T20 World Cup

Buttler, 34, played 10 IT20 matches during the summer, including eight at the World Cup where England reached the semi-finals. The swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter was in a league of his own and topped the IT20 MVP standings with 162.87 points.

Despite missing the IT20 series against Australia through injury, the opening batter still managed to score 337 runs at an average of 48.14 and an extraordinary strike-rate of 162.80.

He also showed his ‘keeping prowess by taking seven catches and two stumpings.

The Lancashire star produced some memorable performances throughout the summer. His best outing coming against the United States at the World Cup, where he scored an unbeaten 83 off just 38 deliveries in an innings which saw him hit five sixes in one over. Buttler picked 56.01 MVP points for his efforts, the most by any batter in a single IT20 game this summer.

However, this was not his highest score with the bat in the six-month period. That was 84 off 51 balls against Pakistan at Edgbaston in the IT20 series leading up to the World Cup. He also won the Match MVP in that game, recording 29.53 points as England won by 23 runs.

The right-hander’s third Match MVP came in Barbados against Australia. He hit 42 runs from 28 balls and took a stumping to claim 22.10 MVP points.

Meanwhile, his fellow Lancashire teammates Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt finished second and third respectively. Livingstone had an outstanding series against Australia and ended up with 132.28 points, while Salt secured 119.03 points this summer.

The Vitality IT20 Men’s Player of the Summer was selected by the PCA Most Valuable Player Rankings. The formula takes into account expected performance on every ball according to CricViz’s extensive database. The algorithm also considers the historic performances of the venue each fixture is being played at, therefore giving a more accurate reflection of the top performers in the game than traditional batting and bowling averages do.

Buttler joins Joe Root in winning an England Men’s MVP Award this summer. Root was named Rothesay Men’s Test Player of the Summer following some record-breaking months. The Yorkshireman scored 666 runs in red-ball cricket and surpassed Sir Alastair Cook’s tally of most centuries by an English cricketer.

Following the IT20 series against Australia, England play five ODIs against their arch-rivals starting on 19 September.

Their first white-ball winter tour sees them take on the West Indies in three ODIs and five IT20s during October and November. They then travel to India in early 2025 before heading to Pakistan to compete in the ICC Champions Trophy.
 
England white-ball captain Jos Buttler told Sky Sports during England's third T20I vs Australia:

"I have a bit of a relationship with Baz [Brendon McCullum], but I'm looking forward to spending more time with him. I'm looking forward to digging into the cricket side of things. He will help me so much as a captain."

"We're similar in the way we see the game but just getting to spend time with him and opening my eyes to certain things or the other way around."

"For me, I want this to be the most enjoyable part of my career. I've played for a decent amount of time now so maybe a shift in the goalposts of what you really want to achieve and for me that's helping guys become what they can be and building towards two big events later on."
 

To keep or not to keep - Buttler's big decision​


When England begin their latest white-ball tour in Antigua on Thursday, they will again do so without their captain.

Jos Buttler's troublesome calf has kept him out of action since June, forcing him to watch the rebirth of his side without him.

The latest setback has ruled Buttler out of the three-match ODI series against West Indies, although it is hoped he will be fit for the five T20s that follow next week.

It is awkward for Buttler, denying him the chance to set the course before Brendon McCullum arrives as coach in the new year, but has also kicked one question continuing to nag England down the road.

Should the 34-year-old still be trying to do it all as captain, wicketkeeper and premier batter or is it time for Buttler to give up the gloves?

Buttler's big decision

Buttler has kept in all but two of his white-ball matches for England over the past 12 years but, since he was retained and coach Matthew Mott sacked following this year's T20 World Cup exit, the whispers from the England camp have suggested a change.

Even had Buttler been fit to play Australia last month, Phil Salt would have kept wicket in Buttler's place in the T20s with Jamie Smith also primed to do so in the ODIs.

"I was going to give up the gloves and commit to being at mid-off and see how that felt," Buttler told Sky Sports.

"If it will help me with my captaincy it is something I am open to."

Buttler has been backed to remain as captain but knows, having overseen two disappointing World Cup exits, he does not stand upon especially firm ground.

At the start of the summer he was resolute.

"I feel like I've got the best view. I can see exactly what's happening and I can make calls," he said in May about whether he would stay as wicketkeeper.

Now, with a mind focused by a need to improve, the mood has changed.

The case for change

The benefits of Buttler giving up the gloves are obvious.

With a younger, less experienced side he will find it easier to talk his bowlers through pressure situations from the outfield than he can behind the stumps.

In recent years he has relied heavily on Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan to provide the calming voice in a bowler's ear, with Buttler himself tied to his wicketkeeping position by the ever-more-stringent constraints of the pace of play.

Moeen has since retired and 36-year-old Jordan moved on, leaving Buttler as one of the few experienced heads - and he does not have to look far for an example to follow.

McCullum played most of his career as a wicketkeeper-batter in white-ball cricket only to give up the gloves in 2013 aged 32.

Afterwards he played 41 ODIs across three and a half years, including leading the Black Caps to the 2015 World Cup final - an Indian summer Buttler, who has not scored a century in 33 white-ball internationals since September 2023, would likely take.

Furthermore, the England skipper's teenage idol, South Africa great AB de Villiers, also played much of his career as a wicketkeeper, but kept in only three of his last 78 matches and averaged 65.

When Buttler has not to kept, in The Hundred, the Indian Premier League and two T20 internationals, since 2021 his average also improves, albeit slightly from 38.43 to 42.22.

A refresh could reenergise an England great's career.

The case to remain

But if those arguments sound convincing, the reality is less straightforward.

Yes, the sample size is too small to draw definitive conclusions but when Buttler has captained from the outfield there has been no obvious upturn in results - three wins and four defeats his return from seven matches for England and Manchester Originals.

"Being wicketkeeper is a massive benefit in terms of getting tactical information around decision-making," says Sam Billings, a wicketkeeping captain who has won the 2021 T20 Blast and the past two editions of the Hundred as skipper.

"As a wicketkeeper you can read conditions, field positions, and the angles far better than any other place on the field."

There have been few more successful white-ball captains than India's 2011 World Cup-winning skipper MS Dhoni, famed for his tweaks and tactical nous from behind the stumps.

"It is hard to go from captaining and keeping your whole career to change to a captain at extra cover the whole time," Billings adds.

"[Former England skipper] Eoin Morgan was such a good captain because he had always captained from cover and worked on those conversations."

There is also, of course, no guarantee that fewer responsibilities means an upturn in results.

McCullum's career may well have been extended by giving up the gloves but his batting average was just 29.76 after doing so.

Should he want to stay on as keeper, Buttler could easily point to one of his other confidantes, Kumar Sangakkara.

The Sri Lanka great kept wicket until the end and finished his illustrious ODI career with four centuries in his last five matches.

The stats may well tell Buttler whatever it is he wants to hear.

If not Buttler then who?

But if Buttler does decide the team would benefit from giving up the gloves it leaves England with intriguing selection decisions while adding importance to the two weeks to come in the Caribbean.

In T20s the solution is obvious. Salt, currently third in the world rankings, is a regular wicketkeeper and can take Buttler's place.

The answer in ODIs is less straight-forward.

Salt struggled against Australia, managing just 95 runs across five innings, and leaving doubts over whether he is suited to the longer format.

With Joe Root and possibly Ben Stokes to return in the new year, spaces in the top six will be at a premium.

Smith, also absent for this tour because of his Test commitments, remains the mystery.

McCullum has been gushing in his praise of the Surrey 24-year-old.

In the first squad after McCullum's appointment was confirmed, Smith was put straight into the XI as keeper and number five - the role Buttler has made his own.

How Smith fits into a side that includes Buttler, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Harry Brook is not obvious.

If he bats at six, England would have no significant bowling option in their top order.

England will have to make their final decision in January, when they play India as part of their build-up to February's Champions Trophy.

It is then that the can will not be able to be kicked down the road any longer.

www.bbc.com

West Indies vs England: Should Jos Buttler give up the wicketkeeping gloves in white-ball cricket?

BBC Sport analyses the positives and negatives on whether England captain Jos Buttler should give up the wicketkeeping gloves in white-ball cricket.
www.bbc.com
 
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