"He'll carry on playing in the IPL until he is crawling out to the middle" - Graeme Swann on Jos Buttler
Former England spinner Graeme Swann reckons Jos Buttler will continue to play in the IPL as long as he can, given how handsomely the Englishman gets paid. However, the 45-year-old wants to see Buttler win the T20 World Cup 2024 as it would be a career-defining moment for him.
The Lancashire cricketer finds himself under pressure after England endured a forgettable 2023 World Cup campaign. The defending champions managed only three wins throughout the tournament, thereby failing to progress beyond the group stage.
When asked whether the ongoing T20 World Cup is a career-defining moment for Buttler, Swann declared that the keeper-batter is not getting any younger; hence, he needs the trophy to cement his legacy. The 79-Test veteran also hopes to see Buttler ply his trade for England for a few more years.
As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, he stated:
"You could say that, yeah. You'd start arguing that he's no spring chicken anymore, which sounds so weird for me to say, that Jos Buttler is coming into the back-end of his career, because I'm sure he'll carry on playing in the IPL until he is crawling out to the middle, because he's getting paid so handsomely.
"He needs to win as a captain in this, just to keep himself satisfied and happy that he is the right man going forward. I hope to still see him [play for England] for a few years because I watched him in the IPL and he's a joke. He's still brilliant and still so dominant."
The 33-year-old is still a World Cup-winning captain in the shortest format, having lifted the trophy two years ago. However, the 2024 edition presents a formidable challenge as England have not had much success in the West Indies.
"I see so many parallels between this team and our team" - Graeme Swann recalls England's 2010 win
With Swann being part of England's 2010 T20 World Cup victory, the 45-year-old has earmarked the current squad to replicate that success. He even claimed that there are parallels between the two English teams. On this, he said:
"I'm excited because I see so many parallels between this team and our team [from 2010]. The ultra-aggressive top-order is the only way to play. I think if you get the two ends of the spectrum right - the first six overs with the ball, the first six overs with the bat - you win more often than not.
"We've got world-class spinners to bowl in the middle period. I think we cover all bases. And if we believe in ourselves and play in a very aggressive manner, we can win it."
England's opening match of the tournament against Scotland resulted in a washout. They will face Australia on Saturday (June 8) in Barbados.