Jos Buttler remained optimistic despite England’s record-breaking defeat against Australia in their Champions Trophy opener. Despite the setback, he insisted that belief within the squad remained strong, even though their path in the tournament had become significantly tougher.
England found themselves on the wrong end of history as Australia successfully chased down 352, the highest successful run chase in a men’s ICC event. Josh Inglis led the charge with a stunning 120 off 86 balls, guiding his team to victory. While acknowledging Australia’s performance, Buttler also praised Ben Duckett, who played a remarkable innings of 165 from 143 balls, anchoring England’s total of 351 for eight. He suggested that Duckett had the potential to become the first Englishman to score a double-century in ODI cricket.
With crucial matches against Afghanistan and South Africa looming, England now faces a must-win scenario. The first of these encounters will take place in Lahore, followed by a switch to Karachi. These matches are not only critical for England’s semi-final hopes but could also determine Buttler’s future as captain.
When asked about England’s recent struggles in ODI cricket, having lost nine of their last twelve matches, Buttler remained defiant. “The longer it goes on, the closer you get to winning,” he said. “The optimism and the belief is very much there in the team. I think you have to be proud of the way we played and performed and give credit to the opposition for just being a little bit better and getting over the line. We’ll plan well, keep the boys upbeat, dust ourselves down, and go again.”
Reflecting on Duckett’s innings, Buttler highlighted the left-hander’s ability to score consistently in ODIs. “There won’t be too many times you score 165 and end up on the losing side. His game is perfectly suited to scoring big runs. I said before the tournament he could be the first Englishman to score a double in ODI cricket. An innings like this one should really prove to him how consistent he can be and how many runs he can score in this format. It is a big year for English cricket, and he’s going to be at the forefront of it. To start as he has done, and looking ahead, I’m sure England fans will be excited to watch him bat for the rest of the year.”
The conditions played a role in the match as well, with Buttler pointing out that losing the toss proved costly. The pitch slowed down in the first innings, making batting slightly more difficult for England, before dew set in later, causing the ball to skid on under the lights. Despite that, Buttler expressed satisfaction with England’s team selection. “I liked the balance of the team that we went with,” he said. “I thought Root and Liam Livingstone bowled really well and built some nice pressure together.”
Ultimately, England were undone by a brilliant innings from Inglis, with Buttler conceding, “You’ve got to sometimes credit the opposition – Inglis played a fantastic innings.”
With their tournament hopes hanging in the balance, England now turn their attention to Afghanistan, knowing that nothing less than victory will keep their campaign alive.
