England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler has recently indicated his willingness to consider stepping away from wicketkeeping duties if it would enhance his ability to lead the team more effectively. This statement came during a Sky Sports broadcast of England’s third and final T20I against Australia, a match that was ultimately abandoned due to rain.
Buttler, who is currently sidelined with a calf injury, has been unable to participate in the ongoing T20I and ODI series against Australia. As a result, Harry Brook has been appointed as the captain for the series, and Liam Livingstone has been brought in as his replacement. Buttler has also missed out on playing in the Hundred Men’s competition for the Manchester Originals due to his injury.
Reflecting on his leadership role, Buttler mentioned that if he had been fit for the T20I series, he would have considered giving up wicketkeeping to focus entirely on his captaincy. He drew parallels with former England captain Brendon McCullum, who, after being unable to keep wicket due to an injury, excelled in a different role. Buttler said, “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. Baz stumbled across it with injury preventing him from keeping wicket but then he really enjoyed being at mid-off so that's something we can talk about. If that's something that will really help me in my captaincy then it's something that I am open to.”
Buttler last featured in a competitive match during the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024 against India in June. He had aimed to return for the knockout stages of the T20 Blast but was unable to do so due to complications in his rehabilitation process.
Buttler’s openness to potentially relinquishing wicketkeeping duties underscores his commitment to the team’s success and his desire to be the best leader possible. He emphasized, “I am very open to those kinds of things. I just want what's best for the team and what's best for the team is going to be me being the best captain I can be. If I have to move from behind the wickets to do that, then so be it.”
The T20I series between Australia and England was marred by weather disruptions, with the final match on September 15 at Old Trafford being abandoned without any play due to persistent rain. This result meant the series concluded at 1-1. The cancellation of the final game, caused by ongoing adverse weather conditions, prevented any ground staff from effectively preparing the pitch and outfield, ultimately leading to the abandonment of the match.
