The Jos Buttler thread: a modern-day potential great but needs to be backed in all formats

[James]

Time for the kid to go unfortunately.

A recall is not entirely impossible, but he needs some time out.

 

[IMMY69]

If he was dropped would he head off to the carribean to play in the T20 League or knuckle down for Lancashire in the championship?

 

[Hyperion66]

Modern day bottler and Bairstow too, both got all the talent in this world yet bottle it up more often than not.

 

[silentkiller187]

Theres only room for one of Bairstow, Butler or Roy in this team, sadly Bairstow seems like the clear favorite in all departments at the moment.

 

[Shazzam]

Theres only room for one of Bairstow, Butler or Roy in this team, sadly Bairstow seems like the clear favorite in all departments at the moment.

I feel like out of the three Bairstrow can adapt in this format as he does play with soft hands. The other two need to go. They don’t play with soft hands.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Butler often signs of choking under pressure. He is not like Stokes.

 

[Ab Fan]

I feel like out of the three Bairstrow can adapt in this format as he does play with soft hands. The other two need to go. They don’t play with soft hands.

But Bairstow doesn't want to give up gloves. His attitude can be a question mark in case if he is forced to play as specialist bat and have Foakes as gloves man.

 

[introvert]

Dude did you have even bothered to check his record in 50 over worldcup?. He averages 34 with with bat in worldcup

When further analysis his stats look at his record against top team in worldcup
Against aus batting a
verage 17
Against India batting average 20
Against nz batting average 24
Against Sa batting average 18

Lol you are just neat picking stats here which suits your agenda. By your logic pak odi great inzmam is also bilateral bullie because his worldcup record is ordinary.

 

[saeed5646]

Lol you are just neat picking stats here which suits your agenda. By your logic pak odi great inzmam is also bilateral bullie because his worldcup record is ordinary.

Seems like you are carrying away with reputation rather than performance. In current odis bilateral mean nothing

Well if inzimam had played in this era where butler is playing i would have never said he is all time great

 

[saeed5646]

Lol you are just neat picking stats here which suits your agenda. By your logic pak odi great inzmam is also bilateral bullie because his worldcup record is ordinary.

Inzi played in different era where bilateral odis have
significant meaning + run scoring for batsmen was extremely difficult at that time

If he was playing in current pitches where worldcup is held he would have much better record .butler have opportunity in 2015 and 2019 where pitches one of the most flat wickets in history of cricket but he failed both time

 

[Hasan123]

Buttler scored in the final in the run chase. So he is no choker.


I would like to see England stick with him.

 

[tyron_woodley]

Inzi played in different era where bilateral odis have
significant meaning + run scoring for batsmen was extremely difficult at that time

If he was playing in current pitches where worldcup is held he would have much better record .butler have opportunity in 2015 and 2019 where pitches one of the most flat wickets in history of cricket but he failed both time

bilaterals never had any meaning. Never. world cup and champions trophy is what matters. Asia cup to a lesser extent as well. bilaterals were always about finding the right combination. no one cares about bilaterals, trinstions etc.

 

[Rellu_Katta]

i have no idea how anyone can even think of not having Butler in the LOI teams..

He is the giant... beast... million dollar player in white ball cricket .... he is the best , abs best at no5/6

No way he shld be dropped.. i think he shld be the captain when morgan isnt around ... simple

 

[MenInG]

England wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler admitted that he's not been "quite performing to the standards" he would want to in Test cricket and is working on improvement and a positive approach.

Buttler has so far featured in 38 Tests in which he's made 2,046 runs at an average of 33. In 2019, he played 11 Tests, scoring 502 runs at 25.10 and only crossed fifty thrice.

"I feel like I'm not quite performing to the standards I need to," Buttler said ahead of the New Year's Test against South Africa on Wednesday, 1 January. "I'm trying to improve that and affect games in positive ways for England."

The 29-year-old made a Test comeback in 2018 after almost a year and a half, and registered impressive numbers with the bat that year. He scored 760 in 10 Tests at 44.70, including his only Test hundred.

"Since I've come back into Test cricket I've tried to trust my defense for longer periods of time," Buttler said. "I've been able to do that on occasions. But [playing my natural game] is certainly something I'm trying to work out.

"You can do a lot of work in the nets but I'm spending a lot of time thinking about the game when I'm in my room or trying to visualise things or work through them in my head. Moving forward I've got to play the situation, but I will try to be a bit more positive."

South Africa wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock made a 95 and 37-ball 34 in the opening Test against England in Centurion, which the hosts won by 107 runs. De Kock played a vital role in the game and Buttler, looking up to his counterpart for inspiration, said watching the South African bat from behind the stumps "resonated" with him.

"Quinton played a really good knock and put pressure back on the bowlers," Buttler said. "He tried to take the initiative and, watching that from behind the stumps, it resonated with me.

"When you're batting with the tail, you try to sum up situations and work out how best you can score. You work out your risk management: what is too much risk; what is trying to push the game on. Looking ahead to this Test, I want to look to be a bit busier and try to look a bit more on the positive side."

The second Test starts on Friday, 3 January, in Newlands.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1559277

 

[Robert]

I would drop him from the test side and bring in Foakes.

 

[Mercurial]

Ollie Pope must be backed over him. He is the real deal. Jos Buttler is only cut for Test cricket provided he plays in a T20I mode, otherwise he is ordinary in this format.

 

[Ab Fan]

He should be persisted with IMO although as a wicket-keeper bat at 7 and not specialist bat. Get in a specialist bat at 5 or 6 ahead of Bairstow and play him at 7.

 

[Ab Fan]

He should be persisted with IMO although as a wicket-keeper bat at 7 and not specialist bat. Get in a specialist bat at 5 or 6 ahead of Bairstow and play him at 7.

England have gone with exactly what I demanded. Nevertheless, they will get an award for it and it will be a test win.

 

[Amjid Javed]

White ball cricketer his lack of technic and tempremant in longer version keeps been exposed.

 

[Mobashir]

White ball cricketer his lack of technic and tempremant in longer version keeps been exposed.

He is a complete failure in tests. Even in LOI'S he is playing well mostly because of flat tracks.
Over-rated cricketer.

 

[Hasan123]

Maybe it's time for him to concentrate on LO. He has been given a long run in tests and just doesn't seem a fit for it. I think a big mistake was made when he didn't play red ball cricket earlier consistently a few years ago.

 

[MMHS]

Josh Buttler could have been history even from county crickets had he started career 25 years earlier.

He is very good at hitting through the line with planted feet & no footwork against spin. What is working now is his power & modern compressed bat on absolute belter of tracks with smaller boundaries. His lack of defensive technique isn’t exposed in LO because of the playing conditions and to his credit his hand-eye is outstanding, power is supreme and his wrists are steel made.

I can’t prove, but players like Buttler, Maxwell, Guptil, Munro, Roy, Ewan Lewis ... won’t have survived in international cricket for long had the ODI playing context remained in between 170-250; instead of 300+ (for English games 350+).

Back to the past - IPL didn’t help his red ball career much, I believe.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Josh Buttler could have been history even from county crickets had he started career 25 years earlier.

He is very good at hitting through the line with planted feet & no footwork against spin. What is working now is his power & modern compressed bat on absolute belter of tracks with smaller boundaries. His lack of defensive technique isn’t exposed in LO because of the playing conditions and to his credit his hand-eye is outstanding, power is supreme and his wrists are steel made.

I can’t prove, but players like Buttler, Maxwell, Guptil, Munro, Roy, Ewan Lewis ... won’t have survived in international cricket for long had the ODI playing context remained in between 170-250; instead of 300+ (for English games 350+).

Back to the past - IPL didn’t help his red ball career much, I believe.

Bairstow is another player whose over exposure in white ball cricket has destroyed the very limited technic he had in red ball cricket.

 

[MMHS]

Bairstow is another player whose over exposure in white ball cricket has destroyed the very limited technic he had in red ball cricket.

Eventually, everyone will be back to their hut - no alternatives of two innings, red ball First Class cricket to develop this game. We are just passing through a phase where colourful cricket is shining. England’s biggest loss actually is Stokes in this circus - what an outstanding all-rounder he could have been.... instead now he is a part-time pacer and a 38 average batsman

 

[Mobashir]

Eventually, everyone will be back to their hut - no alternatives of two innings, red ball First Class cricket to develop this game. We are just passing through a phase where colourful cricket is shining. England’s biggest loss actually is Stokes in this circus - what an outstanding all-rounder he could have been.... instead now he is a part-time pacer and a 38 average batsman

Don't think Stokes is suffering from it. He is an outstanding all rounder.
It's just that England use him carefully, they know how important he is.

 

[Mobashir]

Josh Buttler could have been history even from county crickets had he started career 25 years earlier.

He is very good at hitting through the line with planted feet & no footwork against spin. What is working now is his power & modern compressed bat on absolute belter of tracks with smaller boundaries. His lack of defensive technique isn’t exposed in LO because of the playing conditions and to his credit his hand-eye is outstanding, power is supreme and his wrists are steel made.

I can’t prove, but players like Buttler, Maxwell, Guptil, Munro, Roy, Ewan Lewis ... won’t have survived in international cricket for long had the ODI playing context remained in between 170-250; instead of 300+ (for English games 350+).

Back to the past - IPL didn’t help his red ball career much, I believe.

Maxwell would have survived. He is a little more complete, he has soft hands that help him play spinners better, and he also can bowl.
Agree with the rest of the list.

 

[topspin]

Looking at his stats, he's a modern day Yuvraj Singh. Excellent white ball specialist but has plenty of work to do in red ball cricket.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I think he is a mental midget. That's all i can say. He looks so nervous.

 

[MMHS]

I think he is a mental midget. That's all i can say. He looks so nervous.

He is a monster in his comfort zone - he looks nervous when his normal game is restricted. He knows his defence isn’t solid enough for red ball game hence looks nervous - even today he was dropped at 15 and blessed by that he should have taken ENG to 350+ as Pope is still unbeaten at other end, instead he picked at the most harmless bowler!! In white ball cricket, he is one of the toughest guy mentally (& physically as well), and never looked to be under pressure of asking rate, because he knows he can manage almost any asking with couple of hits every over. If the playing conditions were like 90s, he would have been very similar like Kalu of SRL - sweet, quick fire 20s & 30s; then gets out to a good one where wicket had something for the bowler.

 

[pratiktc]

He has been backed enough in Tests, almost 40 tests for a 30 avg and 1 century.
Thanks for coming Jos, focus on LOIs now

 

[Manunited18]

Buttler test stats are similar to his first class stats, moderate at best, if England are happy with that then fine, then there's foakes as an alternative,
One thing for certain buttler is no dohni, gilchrist, or sangakara in the long format

 

[Mobashir]

Buttler test stats are similar to his first class stats, moderate at best, if England are happy with that then fine, then there's foakes as an alternative,
One thing for certain buttler is no dohni, gilchrist, or sangakara in the long format

Another thing is even more sure, Dhoni was no Gilchrist or Sanga in the long format.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Said it long time ago. He was never going to succeed in tests but I was told how exceptional a talent he was to fail in tests. Certainly, an inferior batsman to AB who was very good in red ball cricket.

 

[sindhiboy]

Maxwell would have survived. He is a little more complete, he has soft hands that help him play spinners better, and he also can bowl.
Agree with the rest of the list.

maxwell had the potential to be a test player. but he was not given enough chances and not properly coached.

i consider maxwell to be a massive underachiever

 

[Manunited18]

maxwell had the potential to be a test player. but he was not given enough chances and not properly coached.

i consider maxwell to be a massive underachiever

Maxwell been given ample opportunity his problem is between his ears, his shot selections is what let's him down big style

 

[Manunited18]

Another thing is even more sure, Dhoni was no Gilchrist or Sanga in the long format.

Dohni only averaged fractionally under 40 in tests, but his keeping was unblievable

 

[HitWicket]

Dohni only averaged fractionally under 40 in tests, but his keeping was unblievable

Statistically in tests he only missed slightly less chances (18%) than Kamran Akmal (20%).

 

[therealAB]

Dohni only averaged fractionally under 40 in tests, but his keeping was unblievable

Gilchrist a significantly better keeper

 

[Mobashir]

Statistically in tests he only missed slightly less chances (18%) than Kamran Akmal (20%).

But... I am sure he isn't finished yet, will comeback with something else now to show us why Dhoni can be mentioned with Golly and Sanga...

 

[Mamoon]

Buttler is a terrific player and his development has been stunted in Test cricket because he was given very few opportunities during his formative years.

When you see a truly special talent you back him in all formats even when he is not ready, because that experience will serve him better in the long run than sitting out of the team.

That is what South Africa did with de Villiers. They backed him at a young age even though he averaged in the mid 30’s after 30 odd Tests in the first three years of his Test career before he developed the temperament.

He kept throwing his wicket away and kept playing loose shots but South Africa persisted because he was capable of things others weren’t, and eventually he repaid the faith.

On the other hand, England gave Buttler sporadic chances until 2018 and never really believed that he was capable of becoming a Test class batsman.

Had he been a permanent member of the side right from his debut in 2014 until now, he would have been an accomplished Test player by now.

There is a fine line between an explosive match-winner and a wasteful player who lacks temperament. A lot depends on the environment the player grows up and how he is used by the management in his developmental years.

Buttler has clearly not been handled in the way his rich abilities deserved. Nevertheless, he is still very, very good for a wicket-keeper batsman and deserves to be in the team.

 

[MenInG]

Seems his Test experiment is over or near at its end.

 

[Ab Fan]

What exactly is Buttler lacking which de Villiers had?

 

[Robert]

What exactly is Buttler lacking which de Villiers had?

Shot selection in tests. Knowing when to accelerate and when to defend.

 

[Robert]

Buttler is a terrific player and his development has been stunted in Test cricket because he was given very few opportunities during his formative years.

When you see a truly special talent you back him in all formats even when he is not ready, because that experience will serve him better in the long run than sitting out of the team.

That is what South Africa did with de Villiers. They backed him at a young age even though he averaged in the mid 30’s after 30 odd Tests in the first three years of his Test career before he developed the temperament.

He kept throwing his wicket away and kept playing loose shots but South Africa persisted because he was capable of things others weren’t, and eventually he repaid the faith.

On the other hand, England gave Buttler sporadic chances until 2018 and never really believed that he was capable of becoming a Test class batsman.

Had he been a permanent member of the side right from his debut in 2014 until now, he would have been an accomplished Test player by now.

There is a fine line between an explosive match-winner and a wasteful player who lacks temperament. A lot depends on the environment the player grows up and how he is used by the management in his developmental years.

Buttler has clearly not been handled in the way his rich abilities deserved. Nevertheless, he is still very, very good for a wicket-keeper batsman and deserves to be in the team.

Come on. He has played the last thirty tests off the reel.

 

[Mobashir]

What exactly is Buttler lacking which de Villiers had?

To start with, batting technique.
Secondly Buttler isn't half as talented.

Even in LOI'S, Buttler has just got explosiveness on batting tracks.
ABDV was a complete batsman before being a great hitter.

 

[Manunited18]

Foakes deserves a good run in the test side, buttlers form with bat now is effecting his keeping, it was said once upon a time that a strong Yorkshire means a strong England test side, now I reckon a strong Surrey is begining to dominate the England test side and rightly so

 

[andy0204]

I think he should be there till Srilankan tour,if he fails there Foakes must be pick as it will be fresh English summer to begin with.

 

[Manunited18]

I think he should be there till Srilankan tour,if he fails there Foakes must be pick as it will be fresh English summer to begin with.

Hes had a long run, foakes excelled when they last toured Sri Lanka therefore he deserves his chance, in tough situation hes a very nugaty character, we need him to complete the transition of the test team

 

[Abdullah719]

Jos Buttler refreshed and excited for T20s after Test series 'struggle' in South Africa

Spoiler

Jos Buttler says he is excited for England's T20 series with South Africa after a "disappointing" performance in the Tests.

England won the Test series 3-1 but Buttler struggled to find his best form with the bat, averaging just 16.42 across seven innings, and admits he needed a break after a hectic year.

The World Cup winner was afforded that during the ODIs and has returned from his brief time away refreshed as England's preparations for the T20 World Cup in the autumn begin in earnest.

"I love being here but it is also full on and you enjoy the breaks," Buttler told Sky Sports. "That is always going to be one of the challenges, not just the time away but when you are on tour, finding ways to keep yourself fresh is always a challenge.

"It was a pretty quick break but it was really good for me and I think a change of format, I'm excited for. I love T20 cricket, it gives you lots of chance to go out and express yourself and have some fun.

"I'm really excited for these T20s, it is a format I know well and have got a lot of experience in and it's great fun. To have a series with three games in is nice, a lot of the time it is one game on the end of the ODI series so to have three matches to really look forward to is exciting."

Buttler's place in the white-ball side could not be any more secure but his lack of runs in red-ball cricket over the past few months has led to questions over his place in the side. So how would he assess the recent Test series in South Africa?

"Tough. It's always disappointing when you don't perform to the standards that you want to perform to and do your job as well as you can do for the team. That was disappointing but obviously it was a great series for other guys and for the team as a whole.

"It felt like I needed to score some runs or have a break! That didn't happen and I had a break after the series. It's a really tough one because you want to be involved in everything and a lot of the time it's easy to say you need a break when you lose your form and it's easy to say it must be because of x, y or z.

"At certain times, it might be that a break from the game does you good, at others it might be something you need to tweak technically or mentally.

I'd say that was the struggle I had in the Test series, I don't feel I accessed my zone as well as I could have and probably didn't have as much commitment to the clarity of where I wanted to play sometimes because of that.

"Maybe a break will have helped me with that and also the time out of this environment to just sit and reflect is really powerful. Things certainly seem to become a lot clearer then, when you have a bit of time to reflect and you're not in the heat of the battle trying to work it out.

"You can actually just sit on your own or you're having a walk in the park and having a think about things and you find ways to answer a few questions."

Buttler has rarely struggled to find the right answers in white-ball cricket and with the 50-over World Cup won, he and England will be targeting further success in the T20 World Cup in Australia later in the year.

Eoin Morgan's side have just nine more T20 games before the start of the tournament so the three games against South Africa are seen as hugely important.

"I think this is the real start of the run-in to the World Cup," Buttler said. "If you look at the amount of planning that went into the 50-over World Cup, we haven't had as long to run in and look at this T20 World Cup but certainly now it starts.

"In T20 cricket I think we've got a lot of improvements to make, we've not been as consistent but that can come from not looking at the format as the highest priority compared to the 50-over format in the last few years.

"Now T20 is a massive priority and hopefully we can get a settled team and guys in good form."

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...0s-after-test-series-struggle-in-south-africa

 

[silentkiller187]

Come on. He has played the last thirty tests off the reel.

The guy talks nonsense, if the name of the player was moeen ali or one of the Pakistani players then the argument would have been the opposite. He hyped Jos up once upon and his ego does not allow for him to go back on his statements.

 

[Officer Barbrady]

The guy talks nonsense, if the name of the player was moeen ali or one of the Pakistani players then the argument would have been the opposite. He hyped Jos up once upon and his ego does not allow for him to go back on his statements.

I probably rarely agree with Mamoon but do so in this case. Butler is a special talent and England should have been able to get the best out of him in test cricket. Personally I think he should play as a specialist batsman at #5.

 

[Mobashir]

I probably rarely agree with Mamoon but do so in this case. Butler is a special talent and England should have been able to get the best out of him in test cricket. Personally I think he should play as a specialist batsman at #5.

Unfortunately for you, you are both wrong. He is maybe a special talent or whatever you want to call him, fact is that he isn't a test player. With the number of good wicket keeper batsmen England have, he should feel estimed to have played so mant tests.

 

[silentkiller187]

I probably rarely agree with Mamoon but do so in this case. Butler is a special talent and England should have been able to get the best out of him in test cricket. Personally I think he should play as a specialist batsman at #5.

In my opinion Bairstow is a much better option, behind the wickets and with the bat. Butler is a great talent dont get me wrong, but test cricket maybe not.

 

[Sir-fraz]

How many years has it been since hes been playing?

He hasnt made any improvements to be regarded as a special player, doesnt matter how good his hand eye or reaction time is.

Special players improve, he hasnt simple as that.

Hes had his chances and its time eng move on.

 

[MenInG]

Looking very dangerous!

53* in 24 balls so far vs SA in 3rd T20I

 

[Manunited18]

Always been dangerous flat tracks where he can hit through the line

 

[MenInG]

Looking very dangerous!

53* in 24 balls so far vs SA in 3rd T20I

Out now.

Buttler c Shamsi b Pretorius 57(29) [4s-9 6s-2]

 

[Mobashir]

Very hard to do something special in this game, such are the playing conditions.

Buttler didn't looked good even in this game. Bairstow also struggled for most of this innings and is batting at 57 from 29.

 

[The Viper]

Whilst he scored today, I think Buttler should bat with the middle order. Roy, Bairstow and Malan is good a top order.

 

[Mamoon]

I think he is nearly as talented as de Villiers, and is in the same mould too. If he applies himself, there is no reason why he cannot become a brilliant player across all formats over the next decade.

"As talented as AB " - Sir Mamoon

Jos is one of our greatest-ever white-ball cricketers," Morgan told Sky Sports. "I realise why people talk about him so much, but not in a negative way. I think he has as much talent as someone like AB de Villiers.

"It took AB de Villiers a long time and a lot of games to actually get going in a South African shirt. We need to back guys that have that sort of talent, and Jos Buttler's been around a long time now, and we know when he delivers, we win games of cricket."

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...role-ahead-t20-world-cup-confirms-eoin-morgan

Morgan agrees. The only difference between Buttler and de Villiers is that the latter had the right support system at the right stage of his career.

It is too far late for Buttler to replicate de Villiers’ success in Test cricket, but at least he has a won a World Cup for his country.

 

[Mobashir]

Jos is one of our greatest-ever white-ball cricketers," Morgan told Sky Sports. "I realise why people talk about him so much, but not in a negative way. I think he has as much talent as someone like AB de Villiers.

"It took AB de Villiers a long time and a lot of games to actually get going in a South African shirt. We need to back guys that have that sort of talent, and Jos Buttler's been around a long time now, and we know when he delivers, we win games of cricket."

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...role-ahead-t20-world-cup-confirms-eoin-morgan

Morgan agrees. The only difference between Buttler and de Villiers is that the latter had the right support system at the right stage of his career.

It is too far late for Buttler to replicate de Villiers’ success in Test cricket, but at least he has a won a World Cup for his country.

There is a reason Buttler averages 32 over 106 first class games.
Difficult to argue on 'talent' so if it makes you happy lets say Buttler is more talented than ABDV.

 

[Rana]

Sky sports commentators have an agenda to somehow push Butler into the ODI HOF alongside Tendulkar, Gilchrist etc.

Media, commentary and the agenda backing you has a major influence in the perception of people overall.

 

[Ab Fan]

AB really was a once in a generation talent. He could play the drives, cuts, pull shots and hook as good as any world class batter and then could bring in those innovative shots in his game which bar a few none could replicate and certainly not all the shots he had in his arsenal. The level of

 

[Ab Fan]

I remember that hundred vs England in 2016 in an ODI run chase, he would bat normally and still be maintaining up that strike rate of around 100. Same in NZ 2015 semis. Batted normally and got to 57 off 37 balls before rain came. What a player!

 

[MenInG]

Jos Buttler considers himself too old to be picked on mere potential in the England Test squad, but admits that he continues to be ‘very committed’ to the format, despite his recent lack of form.

Buttler hasn’t crossed 50 in his last 10 Test innings, but was retained as the primary wicket-keeper for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka next month, a position he considers fortunate to be in.

"My performances may have meant that decision would be taken out of my hands. But, fortunately for me, I'm on the tour [to Sri Lanka] and really excited about it. I'm very committed to Test cricket," Buttler said at a promotional event for Rajasthan Royals, his IPL franchise.

"It's the best form of the game, it's the hardest form of the game. That's what makes it – when you have good moments – the most rewarding. You want to be a part of that.”

One of England’s most prolific white-ball stars, Buttler has had questions asked about his future after numerous Test misfirings. "It's not happening for Jos Buttler," Michael Atherton had said, after Buttler ended the recent South Africa series with a high score of 29 in seven innings.

The wicket-keeper batsman, however, has learned to cut out external opinion from his previous experiences. "Maybe if I look back to when I first lost my place in the Test team, I probably listened to too many people," Buttler said. "Everyone's got an opinion on how you should play, and if you're not good with how you manage that, you can confuse yourself, which I certainly did four or five years ago.”

The squad also features Ben Foakes, the wicket-keeper batsman, who scored a century on debut on Sri Lankan soil in 2018. Buttler, however, is being looked upon as the primary glovesman, and is confident that he will be able to repay the faith.

"I've got massive self-belief, and a lot of it is about fulfilling potential," Buttler said. "I'm too old now to get picked on potential, but I feel that I haven't got to the level I know I can get to, and that's a big driver for me.

“I haven’t quite played as well as I would have liked, but you don’t become a bad player overnight, so I’m looking to repay some faith and get back to playing my best cricket."

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1624190

 

[The Viper]

England cricketer Jos Buttler has raised £65,100 ($80,000) after auctioning off the shirt he wore in last year's World Cup final victory over New Zealand.

The shirt will be signed by all the players from the England World Cup squad.

Wicketkeeper Buttler is donating the proceeds to the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals charity, two specialist heart-and-lung centres dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Lol @ the name of this thread.

 

[MenInG]

England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler says he feels some apprehension about leaving the coronavirus-enforced lockdown to return to action.

There will be no cricket played until at least 1 July, but details on how England players can train are set to be revealed on Thursday.

"As the time has gone on, you find your new routine, get used to being at home," said Buttler.

"Naturally there are some anxieties about leaving this situation."

Buttler was part of the England squad that returned home from the postponed tour of Sri Lanka in March.

The England and Wales Cricket Board initially shut down all cricket until 28 May, then extended that period until July, meaning the postponement of the three-Test series against West Indies.

Talks with Cricket West Indies about rescheduling that series, with matches perhaps being played in 'bio-secure' environments, are ongoing.

In the meantime, the relaxation of the lockdown in England has led to the possibility of players returning to some form of training.

"I'm reading and hearing things that it could be imminent, in the next week or two," Lancashire's Buttler told BBC Sport.

"I think to start with that would be individual training in a socially distant manner, maybe just you and a coach. As a batter, I could get someone to throw balls at me. We would stay apart and travel to a ground in our own cars. We'd go straight to the nets, then leave."

England players have been briefed by ECB director of cricket Ashley Giles and chief medical officer Dr Nick Peirce over the procedures that would surround their return to action.

Although members of the squad have frequently said they will trust the advice they are given, Buttler admitted there will still be "anxieties around going into a completely new situation".

The 29-year-old added: "It's going to be very alien to everyone because we've never experienced this before, so you try to get your head around what it might look like, the situations you might come up against and to have some coping strategies for that.

"In a few days I hope to have my own guidelines as to what I'm happy with and if I can't get the assurance of 'X', then I'll feel that's not quite right for me.

"That is just so I feel completely happy to be able concentrate on cricket, rather than the other things."

Buttler, who has played 41 Tests and was part of the England team that won the World Cup in 2019, also confirmed that players will be under no pressure to return if they feel uncomfortable with what they are being asked to do.

"We can make decisions ourselves," he said. "If we're not happy, not comfortable, there is no pressure to do something we don't want to do. That will look different for everyone.

"Hopefully they can put in a place a very safe environment that everyone would feel comfortable with. It's an ever-evolving situation and the more information we get, the more decisions we can make."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/52648841

 

[Abdullah719]

Averaging 23 with the bat in 14 Tests since the start of last year.

 

[Markhor]

Cannot remember a single Test knock of significance from him.

 

[ssuhaide]

Buttler under pressure for sure. A shame as he is fun to watch but right now isn't scoring the runs

 

[sweep_shot]

Butler can be a LOI great. He doesn't deserve to be in Test team let along being a great.

 

[viveks]

Buttler should focus on limited overs and leave tests. Very few can be good in all three formats and it usually impacts one format or the other when they play all three

 

[MenInG]

Out-of-form wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler’s place will be under threat if he doesn’t perform in the next two Tests against the West Indies, reckons former England seamer Darren Gough.

Buttler has not scored a fifty in his last 12 Test innings and also dropped Jermaine Blackwood, who ended up scoring match-winning 95 for West Indies in the first Test.

“Buttler has got two Test matches to save his career, for me,” Gough, who has picked 229 wickets in 58 Tests for England, told Sky Sports Cricket.

READ | England vs West Indies: Joe Denly not good enough, says Michael Vaughan

“He’s a terrific talent, lots of kids look up to him and he has all the shots. But, in Test cricket, you can’t just keep getting out and that’s what he keeps doing.”

Gough also feels that Jofra Archer and Mark Wood should be rotated for the remainder of the series, suggesting to bring back Stuart Broad and and Chris Woakes, who were both ignored for the opening Test by stand-in skipper Ben Stokes.

“I think Broad’s coming back in. I would rest Wood and Anderson at Old Trafford and bring in Broad and Woakes,” said Gough.

“That would be my plan then, with back-to-back Test matches, you bring Anderson and Wood back (for the third Test). I’ve said from the start - rotate Archer and Wood.

“We got a bit carried away, seeing Wood bowl really quickly in South Africa. We’ve seen Archer do it, but it’s very hard to do it every single game. Broad, Woakes and Anderson are the reliable three, while Archer and Wood will blow away the opposition on their day.”

Gough said England should get their selection right to bounce back in the three-Test series.

“Pick the right player, for the right conditions and don’t get too funky with selection. Stick to the plan and England will come back in this Test series,” he said.

He also raised questions on the selection of Joe Denly, who scored 18 and 29 in the first Test.

“The Denly selection - I think he’s been a lucky boy to play the Tests he has played. I love him as a bloke, I think he’s a terrific guy,” Gough said.

“But if you consider that since 2000, 47 batsmen have played for England - there’s only three with worse averages to have played 15 Tests.

“That’s Malan, Compton and Jennings - and they’ve all got hundreds. Denly hasn’t got a hundred, so it’s time to make a change.”

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...under-threat-darren-gough/article32068589.ece

 

[MenInG]

England head coach Chris Silverwood has thrown his weight behind struggling Jos Buttler, saying he looked good with the bat in the first Test and will be given “the best chance to succeed” in the remainder of the series.

Buttler, a wicket-keeper batsman, has not scored a fifty in his last 12 Test innings and also dropped Jermaine Blackwood, who ended up scoring match-winning 95 for West Indies in the first Test.

Former England seamer Darren Gough believes Buttler’s place in the team is under threat and he “has got two Test matches to save his career.”

“I’m not going to go down that road yet of putting Jos under pressure, because I don’t think it’s going to help him. So, first and foremost, we want to give Jos the best opportunity to succeed,” Silverwood was quoted by Cricket Australia.

“(Jos) looked brilliant coming into this game, in practice and everything. He looked very good in the first innings. He just needs to go and make those big scores now, doesn’t he? Which he knows as well.”

The 45-year-old Silverwood said it is all about giving Buttler the confidence with the hope that he will come good in the next match.

“From our point of view, it’s just making sure that he feels confident in the environment he’s in. We’ll give him the best chance to succeed really. The rest of it is, he has a good day out, gets some runs, hopefully the rest will be history — he’ll go on from there.”

Talking about wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, who is waiting for an opportunity to play, Silverwood said: ”... you’re right, we have got a very, very good gloveman in Ben Foakes out there, which we’re lucky to have.”

Another player who struggled in the opening Test against the West Indies is top-order batsman Joe Denly and he might be dropped for the second Test with regular skipper Joe Root returning following the birth of his second child.

Denly scored 18 and 29 in the opening Test, while batting at number four Zak Crawley impressed with a top score of 76 in the second innings.

“We’re all desperate to see Joe do really well. We can see he’s trying hard, he’s training hard. He’s a great bloke hence why we all went to see him do well, but obviously he’s under pressure a little bit, yeah,” Silverwood said.

“Zak is improving constantly. He certainly showed maturity and the innings he played was very good. We have some young players in that side that seem to have good heads on their shoulders, and he’s one of them.

“We’d have all loved to have seen him go on and get up to three figures but what we did was very good and helped us get into the position that we did.”

The second Test will be held at the Old Trafford beginning on Thursday.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...s-west-indies-test-series/article32075649.ece

 

[Nikhil_cric]

AB had a much tighter technique for test match cricket. Had very good defense etc. Not sure Jos has all that. He's as talented a hitter as AB though.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

He is like Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma. Brilliant in limited overs. Should quit tests for good.

 

[Ab Fan]

Give him more chance, he never looked like in big trouble or struggling on pitch. Looks fluent, bat fluently, just need more confidence.

 

[therealAB]

Give him more chance, he never looked like in big trouble or struggling on pitch. Looks fluent, bat fluently, just need more confidence.

He's had so many chances. He may look fluent, but he lacks the most important attribute for any test batsmen; determination and concentration

 

[Invincible Gujjar]

he is just awful in tests.he should just stop playing tests.