"I have a lot of confidence and belief" - Jos Buttler determined to continue as captain amid England's 2023 World Cup struggles
Despite another dismal performance in the 2023 World Cup, Jos Buttler remains determined to continue as England's ODI captain. The keeper-batter asserted that he still harbours plenty of belief and confidence as captain.
England suffered their third consecutive loss of the tournament, putting them further on the brink of an early World Cup exit. The defending champions were bowled out for 156 by Sri Lanka on Thursday in Bengaluru, who chased the target with eight wickets and 146 balls to spare.
Speaking after the defeat, the 33-year-old said he has always focussed on how to get the best out of his players. He also said that the final decision rests with the ECB about whether he should continue as captain.
As quoted by BBC, he claimed:
"I have a lot of confidence and belief in myself as a captain and leader - and as a player. You're always questioning how you can get the best out of players and get the team moving in the right direction. But if you're asking if I should still be captain of the team, that's a question for the guys above me."
While Buttler has won a T20 World Cup for England as skipper, his captaincy records haven't been awe-inspiring. He has won 15 and lost 16 out of 32 ODIs, having assumed the role last year.
"Huge low point" - England captain Jos Buttler after defeat to Sri Lanka
Buttler stated that they'll return to the drawing board and concentrate on how it all went wrong to come back stronger. He added:
"I'll go back to the changing room and look at the players sat there and think, 'how have we got ourselves into this position with the talent and the skill that's in the room? But it's the position we're in, it's the reality of what's happened over the last three weeks. It's a huge low point."
While England are still mathematically in contention for a semi-final spot, they must win all their remaining matches and will need some unlikely set of results to go their way. England will next lock horns with hosts India in Lucknow on October 29.