Jos Buttler will take time to assess his future as captain after England exit
England were knocked out of the Champions Trophy after losing to Afghanistan in Lahore.
Jos Buttler admitted he will consider his position as England white-ball captain following a third ignominious exit at a major tournament under his leadership.
England have surrendered both limited-overs World Cups in the last 18 months and have now crashed out of the Champions Trophy in the group stages after a nail-biting eight-run defeat to Afghanistan.
Buttler accepted the stakes were high ahead of Wednesday’s contest in Lahore and after a 22nd loss in 34 ODIs since succeeding Eoin Morgan in June 2022, he acknowledges he has some soul-searching to do.
“Obviously the results aren’t where they need to be,” he said. “I’ve got to work out personally, am I part of the problem or am I part of the solution?”
Buttler, who skippered England to 2022 T20 World Cup glory, insisted he will make no rash decisions on his future and will consult with head coach Brendon McCullum and director of men’s cricket Rob Key.
McCullum expanding his role to absorb the ODI and T20 sides into his remit was welcomed as a shot in the arm for Buttler but under the duo, England have won only once in 10 matches.
“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions right here, right now,” he said. “There are people I want to discuss that with and take a little bit of time to work out personally what I think is right.
“I want to see the guys at the top – they’re in charge and they will have their own views as well. We need to get the team back to where it needs to be, competing to winning these tournaments.”
Jofra Archer took three wickets in the powerplay but Ibrahim Zadran set a new Afghanistan record for the highest individual ODI score, thumping 12 fours and six sixes in his fantastic 177 off 146 balls.
It also set a new benchmark for the highest score in this tournament’s history, ensuring Ben Duckett’s 165 in England’s campaign-opening defeat by Australia lasted just four days, and powered Afghanistan from 37 for three to 325 for seven.
Afghanistan clobbering 113 in the final 10 overs – with Buttler having to juggle his bowlers because of a left knee injury to Mark Wood – proved instrumental, despite Joe Root’s century of his own.
A magnificent 120 off 111 balls was Root’s first three-figure score in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup and 37 innings but it was not enough to stop them falling agonisingly short, all out for 317.
“It’s a deep disappointment to be knocked out, we’re obviously gutted,” Buttler said after a sixth successive ODI defeat. “The more firing and confident team would have got over the line here.
“I know lots of people think it doesn’t sit well with me being captain but I really do enjoy it. Even before when I wasn’t captain, I liked to think of myself as a leader in the team.
“But results are tough and they weigh heavy at times. Of course, you want to be leading a winning team and we haven’t been that for a while now. That makes for some difficult moments.”
Buttler was out for 38 in the chase and has made just two fifties in his last 20 ODIs.
“At my best, I’m one of the best players in the world and that’s what the team needs from me,” he said. “Unfortunately I haven’t been delivering that.”
As Afghanistan proved their 2023 World Cup win over England in Delhi was no fluke, Buttler’s side must now head to Karachi for a Group B dead rubber against South Africa on Saturday.
While Buttler was unable to offer an update on Wood’s condition, it seems nigh-on impossible he will feature against the Proteas after his injury curse struck again, restricting him to eight overs.
Half of those were sent down when he was in clear discomfort, moving gingerly between deliveries. The 35-year-old had an operation on his left knee after England’s 2019 World Cup triumph which ruled him out of the Ashes that followed.
With a big year ahead for England including a marquee home Test series against India and this winter’s blockbuster Ashes, a fit-and-firing Wood can be expected to be involved in both so he is unlikely to be risked this weekend.
“He bowled through a lot of pain and I thought he showed unbelievable character, as you always get with Woody,” Buttler added. “Hopefully it’s not too bad.”
