After England's elimination from the Champions Trophy following their eight-run defeat against Afghanistan, captain Jos Buttler was asked the tough question about his captaincy future. He said that he is not going to take any emotional decision but also hinted at considering all possibilities. This decision comes amidst a concerning run of form, with England suffering nine losses in their last ten white-ball matches this year.
Jos Buttler on captaincy future after England's elimination from Champions Trophy
Despite a successful start to his captaincy, which included winning the 2022 T20 World Cup, Buttler has since overseen a period of underwhelming performances. England's record in subsequent ICC tournaments has been disappointing, marked by six losses in nine games at the 2023 ODI World Cup, a heavy defeat to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finals, and now their premature exit from the Champions Trophy after losses to Australia and Afghanistan.
The pressure on England's leadership has been mounting. Following last year's T20 World Cup, Matthew Mott was dismissed from his role as England's coach, a decision that, according to Jos Buttler, caused him to question his own position as captain. Since then, Buttler has led the team through a challenging tour of India, where they managed only one victory in eight matches. The culmination of these struggles, combined with their recent Champions Trophy elimination, has led Buttler to suggest that his tenure as captain is likely coming to an end. His comments after the Afghanistan loss strongly hinted at a recognition that a change in leadership might be necessary.
"I don't want to say any emotional statements right now. But I think for myself and the other guys at the top, we should consider all possibilities," England captain said during Post-match presentation.
Talking about the match, Ibrahim Zadran's exceptional batting performance was the cornerstone of Afghanistan's win over England. His record-breaking 177 runs not only established a new highest individual score for the Champions Trophy but also marked the first Afghan century in the tournament. He received crucial support from captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, whose 40 runs contributed to a vital 103-run partnership, rescuing the team after an early collapse. Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi then provided a strong finish, propelling Afghanistan to a total of 325 runs.
England's chase was anchored by Joe Root's 16th ODI century, but his dismissal for 120 proved decisive. The English innings was plagued by consistent wicket losses, with no other batsman managing to surpass 40 runs. Azmatullah Omarzai's all-round brilliance continued with a five-wicket haul, including a crucial final-over dismissal of Adil Rashid, securing Afghanistan's historic first-ever Champions Trophy win. This victory sets up a virtual knockout match against Australia for Afghanistan on Friday.
Buttler rued England's heartbreaking defeat against Afghanistan and said it's disappointing to come out on the wrong side.
"It's really disappointing. I thought we had our chances in the game. Another fantastic game of cricket, but disappointing to come out on the wrong side. They got away from us there in the last 10 overs. Credit to Ibrahim, he played a fantastic innings. If we look back and reflect, 113 off the last 10 pushed them up to a score that was a very good score on that pitch," Buttler added.
Heaping praise on Joe Root's masterful knock, Buttler said:
"He played an unbelievable innings tonight. The way to handle pressure in a run-chase. He needed one of the other top six batters to stay in with him and take the game deeper."