NEW DELHI: A visibly dejected Jos Buttler was at a loss for words after his team collapsed to a seven-wicket defeat against South Africa on Saturday. Describing their underwhelming batting as “the story of our side,” Buttler’s remarks underscored England’s winless exit from the Champions Trophy.
The match marked a disappointing end to his ODI captaincy, with England bowing out at 179 all out—the lowest total of this edition—after he chose to bat. South Africa comfortably chased down the target in just 29.1 overs.
“A really disappointing performance. We were so far short of the mark there today. It was a decent surface – pretty slow but a bit two-paced. We’re not going on and making those big, telling contributions which has been a story of this side for some time now with the bat,” Buttler said at the post-match press conference.
Asked about the lack of form of his batters, Buttler replied, “I don’t know, to be honest. As a whole group, we’re not getting the results and that takes away some confidence. Time for everyone to go away, have a change of scene, work hard.
“There’s now a huge opportunity for everyone in the dressing room and those outside to put their hand up and say they want to be part of these white-ball teams,” said Buttler who has already announced that Saturday’s match will be his last as white-ball captain.
“There’s no doubt that the talent is there. I’m sure (coach) Brendon and the guys at the top will formulate some plans, and it’s down to individuals as well to say they want to be part of something and get this team back to where it should be.”
Reflecting on his captaincy, Buttler said winning the 2022 T20 World Cup remains a memorable moment.
“That was a fantastic time. To be a World Cup-winning captain is an incredibly proud moment. That was the best day in a captaincy shirt.”
Praising former skipper Joe Root, Buttler added: “Joe’s been a shining light and a great example for English cricket throughout. We’ve seen him take his game to new levels since relinquishing the captaincy. Hopefully, I can follow his lead.”
