Jos Buttler, England’s captain for white-ball format of cricket said he would step down as wicket keeper if it would make him a better captain. Last week Buttler missed three matches according to T20I against arch-rivals Australia due to injury and now he thinks it may be time for him to remove himself from the list. Buttler who was among the best players in history in limited overs has been England’s commander since 2022 when Eoin Morgan announced his retirement from international matches. He led Three Lions to T20 world cup fame in 2022 but was unable defend ODI world cup title or T20 title the following year.
In Manchester rain made the third T20I between England and Australia unplayable on Sunday but Buttler told Sky Sports that even if he was fit to play against Australia he would have abandoned wicketkeeping duties.
“If I was playing in this T20 series, I was going to give up the gloves and commit to being at mid-off and seeing how that felt,” Buttler said on Sky Sports. “Baz (Brendon McCullum) stumbled upon it when he couldn’t keep then got really into being at mid-off so that’s something we can discuss. If that’s what really helps me with captaincy then I’m open to anything.”
“I am very open to those kinds of things. In my opinion, the best chance for our team is having me be the most effective captain I can. If this means switching from being behind the wickets, then so be it,” he added
Buttler has not played for England since T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final against India held on June 27 at Guyana and will also miss five match ODI series against the six-time World Cup winners. In his absence, middle-order batter Harry Brook will have a first-time opportunity to lead hosts.
Liam Livingstone, star all-rounder who recorded 87 runs off only 47 balls in second T20I against Australia on Friday (September 13), was appointed as the replacement.