Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Jos Buttler does not consider it a personal attack when a commentator criticises him. Buttler feels that the commentator is only doing his job and he does the same while watching other sports.
"Acceptance is a big part of the job. Accepting that broadcaster pays someone to give their opinion; they are just doing their job. It is not a personal attack on me when they criticise me," Buttler told Humans of Bombay in an interview.
"And I watch other sports. I watch football and go 'oh how did he miss that?! It was so easy'. That is exactly what people are doing when I drop a catch or go for a low score. I do exactly the same thing without realising when I watch other sports. Just acceptance," he said.
While Buttler is considered a white-ball speciallist, he said that he always aspired to become an all-format cricketer and not been able to live up to expectations in Test cricket still bugs him.
"My strengths have always been being better ODI and T20 player. I was desperate to become an all-format player and a very successful Test cricketer. I played a lot of Test cricket in the end but never quite performed to a level quite consistently that I felt I could have achieved, and that will always be a frustration. I always want to be one of the best players in the world," he said.
Buttler keeps wicket for England but he is an agile fielder for Royals and considers legends like Jonty Rhodes, Adam Gilchrist and Steve Waugh as his inspiration while starting out.
"Jonty Rhodes was an early inspiration for me. I did not always keep wickets, I used to love fielding. The 1999 World Cup was in England, so I have very clear memories of going and watching some of those games. Adam Gilchrist was another, a wicketkeeper-batsman, he changed the mode of keeper-batsman. I was really excited to watch (him). Steve Waugh, because Australia were so dominant that time when he was the captain," the T20 World Cup-winning captain said.
Buttler also lauded Indian supporters who flock the stadiums even in an away-from-home series. The 32-year-old expressed his amazement on seeing the crowd roar when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni came in to bat against RR. He also recalled a time when a former English teammate showed him how Indian fans wait for their players.
"It is like nothing else, the way Indian players are adored and supported, the level of fame is incredible. Only thing that (I) can link it to is football in England. It is fascinating watching how they deal with it, the media scrutiny. It is a privilege as well. Learned from the IPL how best players deal with, in a good way, with the chaos around.
"Just watching (MS) Dhoni come out to bat that night (against RR in IPL 2023). The crowd is so expectant. The demeanour he carries is quite incredible for that sort of situation and external pressures.
"The travelling support that India gets wherever they go… Craig Kieswetter drove me to the Manchester ground (his debut) and watched throngs of Indian fans waiting for the team bus to arrive. It was an eye-opening, surreal experience," he said.
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