Jos Buttler focused on rebuilding England’s ODI side post Morgan era
After the conclusion of the three match ODI series against South Africa on Sunday, the England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler spoke about the rebuilding phase of England in ODI cricket and outlined the depth England have in white-ball cricket.
It has been a poor start to Buttler’s tenure as the full time captain of England in limited overs cricket after the retirement of former World Cup winning skipper Eoin Morgan. The Three Lions lost both T20Is and the ODI series against India followed by a drawn ODI series against South Africa after the third ODI in Headingley was abandoned because of rain.
While speaking to Sky Sports, Buttler reflected on his side’s transition phase, particularly in one day cricket. He believes England need to be realistic about the current scenario of the team and back the amount of depth they have to fill the void left by the retirement of Morgan and Stokes.
"Any time you lose players, it gives opportunities for others to step up and we have to be realistic about where we are as a team at the minute," Buttler said.
"In the ODI format, it is about building to that World Cup in India. We've had a bit of change in the recent past and it's about drawing a line in the sand, looking forward, and building a team to compete and try and win that World Cup."
Replacing Stokes is important for the upcoming World Cup in India, says Buttler.
When asked about the void left by Stokes in the ODI team, Butter said: "It'll be something we sit on and look ahead to what it looks like when Ben is missing, and make sure we have the World Cup in mind.
“The conditions we might face in India and what we will need out there.
"When you have a genuine allrounder like Ben, you're probably always going to feel short on batting or bowling. We have time to work out which way we want to go and give guys the opportunity to stake a claim for that place."
Buttler hails Reece Topley after his outstanding performance against India and South Africa
England are going through a bit of an injury crisis when it comes to their pacers. The likes of Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood, all are down and out due to injuries. So, there was a big chance for someone new to rise to the occasion and grab the opportunity with both hands. Reece Topley is the one player who took his chance really well and impressed captain Buttler a lot with his performance against India and South Africa. The left-arm seamer took 11 wickets in five matches this summer so far, including a 6 wicket haul against India at Lord’s.
"Reece has been outstanding," Buttler said.
"It's great to see him take those wickets. He's got all the attributes and it's fantastic to see him fit and playing so well,” Buttler added.
"That's been something over the years in white-ball cricket in England, there's been quite a lot of depth that's pushed the standard higher and higher, whether you're in the team or just outside and trying to get in. That's something we hope will continue to develop," he concluded.
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