Harry Brook gives ultimate vote of confidence to Jos Buttler, who’s in ‘a rut’: ‘Best white-ball player ever’
The T20 World Cup 2026 is turning out to be entirely forgettable for Jos Buttler. The long-time servant for England has managed just 62 runs in seven innings in the tournament so far, registering five single-figure scores in a row. He started the competition with the knocks of 26 and 21 against Nepal and the West Indies, but his campaign tapered off from there on. The right-handed batter went for a duck in the Super 8s match against New Zealand in Colombo after being caught behind off the bowling of Lockie Ferguson
However, England captain Harry Brook isn’t too concerned about Buttler’s form, saying people need to remember all he has done for the side in the past. He even went on to call him the “best white-ball player ever” to play the game.
Brook also accepted that his predecessor as white-ball captain is definitely in “a rut” but added that it’s a matter of time before he strikes form and comes good for the Three Lions.
“There’s been a lot said about Jos. I said the other day that he’s played 150 games for England in T20Is, and people probably need to take a little step back from that. He’s probably the best white-ball player to have ever played the game. He’s in a little bit of a rut now, but I think that’s an exciting thing for everybody in the world to know what he could produce in the next couple of games,” Buttler said at the post-match presentation.
“He’s obviously got a lot of fire in the belly, and he wants to go out there and show everybody what he’s made of. Look, he averages 34 striking at 145 in 150 games. He’s a phenomenal player, and I have no doubts he’ll go out and do well,” he added.
If England decide to make the change and move on from Buttler, then they have Ben Duckett sitting on the sidelines. However, based on Brook’s statement, it’s clear that Buttler will start the semi-final against either India or the West Indies in Mumbai next week.
In the last five games against Scotland, Italy, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand, Buttler has returned with scores of 3, 3, 7, 2 and 0, aggregating just 15 runs.
Buttler’s struggles
Not just the T20 World Cup, Buttler has struggled for runs for some time now. He managed just a single half-century in 24 innings across England’s internationals and the S20. His last half-century for England in the ICC events came way back in the 2024 T20 World Cup, when he scored 83 not out against the USA.
Speaking about the game between England and New Zealand, the former came out on top by four wickets after Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed played a blinder to help the Three Lions chase down the target of 160 with three balls to spare.
With the win, England topped Group 2 of the Super 8s. The second semi-finalist will be decided after the match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
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