England captain Jos Buttler stated that all possibilities will be considered while dissecting the team’s performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. England lost their Group B match to Afghanistan on Wednesday by 8 runs to crash out of the tournament.
Earlier, England had lost to Australia, who chased down a 350-run plus total. The team has had a difficult time after winning the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup. They lost to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinals after finishing in eighth position and losing early in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
In response, England brought in new talent for the limited-overs series against India, replacing players like Chris Jordan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Reece Topley, and Sam Curran. Brendon McCullum took over as head coach for all formats.
Following a 4-1 loss to India in the Twenty20 Internationals and a 3-0 thumping in the ODIs that followed, England qualified for the Champions Trophy. They had a confident start to their CT campaign, scoring 351 against Australia, but a record chase demoralized them in the end.
In their crucial match against Afghanistan, they had their opportunities but were unable to take use of them, ultimately losing the match and casting doubt on Buttler's position as captain.
"Yeah, I think obviously the results aren't where they need to be and I personally need to consider all possibilities. And like I said, obviously, we need to get us as a team back to where England cricket needs to be in the white ball formats. And I think I've got to work out personally am I part of the problem or am I part of the solution?
I'm not going to make any emotional decisions right here, right now. You're probably not the first people I'd discuss that with. And take a little bit of time to just work out personally what I think is right. And obviously the guys at the top are in charge and they will have their own views as well - so as I said, we need to get the team back to where it needs to be - competing for winning these tournaments," said Buttler in post-match press conference.
However, Buttler's personal form has also been questioned. Buttler has played eight ODI innings since the 2023 World Cup ended, averaging 30.57 for his 214 runs and recording a best score of 58 not out. Buttler has not been at his best batting-wise in T20Is, scoring 271 runs in nine innings following the 2024 T20 World Cup, including two fifties, at an average of 30.11.
"I just missed a few balls early in my innings and then got myself to nearly run a ball - 38 or whatever I got out for. So, I got myself into a nice position again. And I just haven't been converting those positions in the recent past into some of the innings that I've played in an England shirt in the past. And that's obviously a frustration. And as I said, I think at my best I'm one of the best players in the world and that's what the team needs from me and unfortunately haven't been delivering that,” Buttler added.
Speaking about his captaincy in the last few years, Buttler said: "It's had its moments for sure. I know lots of people think it doesn't sit well with me being captain and that kind of thing but I really do enjoy it. I enjoy leading. Even before when I wasn't captain I'd like to think of myself as a leader in the team. But, results are tough and they weigh heavy at times. And, of course, you want to be leading a winning team and we haven't been that for a while now so obviously that brings some difficult moments."
