Delhi : England’s wicketkeeper batsman and captain Jos Buttler has made a big statement to improve his captaincy even more. Buttler has said that if he feels the need to give up wicketkeeping to improve his captaincy as he grows older, then he is ready for it. Buttler has been out of the field since the last T20 World Cup due to a right leg injury.
During the T20 match against Australia in Manchester, Buttler interacted with senior players Eoin Morgan and Nick Knight and said many important things. He said that if giving up wicketkeeping will benefit his captaincy, then he is ready to give it up. Morgan gave the example of Brendon McCullum, who gave up wicketkeeping in the last phase of his career and fielded at mid-off.
Butler said on Sky Sports during the third T20 match played between England and Australia on September 15, “If I was playing in this series, I would have preferred to leave wicketkeeping and play at mid-off and see how it feels. McCullum was also not able to do wicketkeeping due to injury, but he preferred to play at mid-off. If this improves my captaincy, then I am all for it.”
He further said, “I am fully prepared for such things. My aim is only to do the best for the team. If I have to step down from behind the wicket for this, I will do so.” England has appointed Harry Brook as the captain for ODIs, while Phil Salt or Jamie Smith can be selected for wicketkeeping. Butler said that the team will decide on this in the coming days, especially considering the role of young players like Jamie Smith, who have performed brilliantly in Test matches.
