After England’s unexpected defeat to Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, cricket icons Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain are questioning Jos Buttler’s future as captain. This loss has amplified scrutiny of England’s leadership under Buttler, underlining a series of underwhelming performances. Afghanistan set a tough target by scoring 325/7, thanks to Ibrahim Zadran’s brilliant 177 off 146 balls. England tried hard in their chase but fell short, bowled out for 317 in 49.5 overs. This defeat ended their semi-final hopes and raised doubts about Buttler’s continued captaincy.
England legends call for leadership change
Michael Atherton commented on Sky Sports, suggesting that it might be time for Buttler to step down. “I think his time is done as captain…England do judge themselves on these ICC events, they’ve made that very clear,” Atherton said. He argued that a change might be beneficial for both Buttler and the team. “Sometimes you just have to say it’s not working and, therefore, it’s time for a change,” he added.
Nasser Hussain on Jos Buttler
Nasser Hussain expressed a similar view but urged against comparing Buttler to Eoin Morgan, England’s successful 2019 World Cup captain. “I’ve never looked at Buttler and thought ‘wow what a leader,’…He doesn’t have that presence in the field that an Eoin Morgan had. That’s a bad comparison,” Hussain said. “As far as captaincy goes, I don’t think Buttler has added that much to this England team, but it’s taken away from his batting,” he stated.
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Buttler’s future amidst tournament exit
Despite the criticism, Buttler remained calm and committed to the team, insisting he would continue to lead. With England out of the tournament, Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan are competing for the semi-final spots from Group A. Afghanistan must defeat Australia to advance, while Australia’s win would also secure South Africa’s place in the semis.
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