England's cricket captain, Jos Buttler, emphasized that retirement discussions have no place in their camp as the team gears up for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. Addressing the media ahead of England's warm-up clash against India at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, Buttler cleared the air on any potential retirement buzz.
Speaking candidly to Daily Mail, the skipper revealed, "No one in the team has even whispered about international retirement." With their sights firmly set on retaining the title, England is determined to repeat their 2019 triumph, where they clinched a nail-biting final against New Zealand.
"I haven't heard anything about international retirement from anyone in our group. I don't think anyone's thinking that at the moment because they're focused on the team and playing well at the start of an exciting campaign. But there might be individuals after this World Cup who want to make this kind of decision," said Buttler.
Buttler further commented on the team's mental approach, suggesting that they are not burdening themselves with thoughts of this potentially being the final World Cup for some senior players. Instead, the focus remains sharp on the upcoming challenges.
"We don't need to add pressure by saying this is the last dance or anything like that. We're looking forward to the World Cup and we've got a really strong group of players. Any time you get to represent your country at a World Cup is very exciting and needs your full attention. You don't want anyone thinking too far past it," Buttler added.
After their initial skirmish with India in Guwahati, England will square off against Bangladesh for another preparatory game at the same stadium. Their real test, however, will commence on October 5, as they open their World Cup campaign against the 2019 runners-up, New Zealand, at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
Asian Games 2023: Jyothi Yarraji, Nithya Ramraj shine in Women's 100m Hurdles, qualify for final
