Jos Buttler resigns as England’s white-ball Captain after Champions Trophy exit

KATHMANDU: England’s white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, has resigned from his position following England’s disappointing early exit from the Champions Trophy group stages.

The 34-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman confirmed that his final game as captain will be today, as England takes on South Africa in their last match of the tournament.

The match will begin at 2:45 PM Nepali Time in Karachi, Pakistan.

England’s elimination from the Champions Trophy came after a loss to Afghanistan on Wednesday.

This marks the third consecutive major tournament in which Buttler’s leadership has resulted in disappointing performances for England.

Prior to this, England had failed to defend their titles in both the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

In a press conference held in Lahore, Buttler shared, “This is the right decision for me, and for the team as well.” He mentioned that although the current situation is heartbreaking, it would allow him to start enjoying the game again. He also expressed that leading his country was a great honor.

Buttler had been appointed as England’s white-ball captain in 2022 after Eoin Morgan’s retirement from international cricket.

Under Buttler’s captaincy, England won the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. However, following their failure in the 2023 ODI World Cup, England’s performances have been on a downward trajectory.

In the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup held in India, England managed to win only 3 out of their 9 matches. Since then, they have played 16 ODIs, losing 12 of them.

Most recently, England has suffered six consecutive defeats.

Though Buttler’s leadership has been questioned due to these recent results, it’s important to note that he has often led the team without key players, which has put additional pressure on his captaincy.

In 44 ODI matches as captain, Buttler has won 18, lost 25, and had one match with no result.

However, his record in T20I matches as captain is considerably better, with 26 wins, 22 losses, and 3 matches with no result in 51 games.

The focus now shifts to finding a new captain for England’s white-ball team. England’s head coach, Brendan McCullum, has stated that he will have discussions with Rob Key, the director of men’s cricket, to determine the next leader.

One of the leading candidates is Harry Brook, who was appointed as the vice-captain in January.

Brook has already had experience captaining England in five ODI matches against Australia, making him a strong contender for the role.