 "Hussain, Atherton blast Buttler after England's woeful Champions Trophy campaign: 'His time is done as captain'")
Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton felt Jos Buttler’s run as white-ball skipper “is done” following the team’s first-round exit from the ICC Champions Trophy . Two-time runners-up England were knocked out of the tournament after a narrow eight-run loss at the hands of Afghanistan in Lahore on Wednesday.
This was after they failed to defend a score of 351 against Australia at the same venue the previous week, resulting in a five-wicket loss at the hands of the ‘Old Enemy’ – who are without captain Pat Cummins and fellow senior pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
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“I think his time is done as captain. England judge themselves on ICC events, and they’ve now had three poor tournaments in a row – the disastrous 50-over World Cup in India, a forgettable T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, and now this,” Atherton said on Sky Sports, not mincing words.
“Their cricket is way below the standards they set for themselves. Sometimes, you have to admit when it’s not working and make a change. And I think deep down, Buttler probably knows that,” added the former England opener.
His former teammate Hussain, who captained England in 45 Tests and 56 ODIs between 1997 and 2003, agreed with the statement while adding that Buttler wasn’t as inspirational a leader as his predecessor Eoin Morgan.
‘Buttler doesn’t have the presence that Morgan had’: Hussain
Buttler had succeeded Morgan – who had captained England to victory in the 2019 ICC World Cup – in the summer of 2022, and had helped the Englishmen lift the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
The wicketkeeper-batter’s legacy as a captain, however, suffered a massive blow after an underwhelming run in the 2023 World Cup in India, where they finished seventh out of 10 teams with three wins and six defeats. As for the T20 World Cup last year, England would make it to the semi-finals only to suffer a knockout punch at the hands of eventual champions India.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsNasser Hussain and Michael Atherton believe that it's time for Jos Buttler to leave the role as England captain after they were knocked out of the ICC Champions Trophy. pic.twitter.com/wWoUFgzp5p
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 27, 2025
“I’ve never looked at Buttler and thought ‘wow, what a leader.’ He doesn’t have the presence in the field that an Eoin Morgan had. Morgan was England’s greatest-ever white-ball captain, and he was always going to be a hard act to follow.
“Buttler hasn’t added much to this England team as a captain, and it has also affected his batting. When you take away from a great player and don’t gain anything from his leadership, it’s probably time to move on,” Hussain said.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is yet to make an official decision on Buttler’s future as white-ball captain, although the keeper-batter had recently admitted his job was on the line in the ‘Mini World Cup’.
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