Karachi, Mar 1: Jos Buttler has resigned as England’s white-ball captain following his side’s early exit from the ongoing Champions Trophy. Buttler announced his decision ahead of the team’s last league game against South Africa.Under Buttler’s captaincy, England lost to Australia and Afghanistan in Champions Trophy 2025 to end their tournament early.The 34-year-old will lead England for the last time in their last group match against South Africa on Saturday in Karachi.
“It’s the right decision for me, it’s the right decision for the team and hopefully somebody else who can come in and work closely alongside Baz [Brendon McCullum] to take the team back to where it needs to be,” Buttler said in a press conference on Friday, February 28.
Buttler admitted that his decision was forced by his team’s early elimination from the Champions Trophy.
“Yeah, I think it’s quite clear that this tournament was going to be important results-wise for my captaincy and obviously two losses and being out of the tournament with a bit of a hangover of some tournaments before, I think I just probably reached the end of the road for me and my captaincy, which is a shame,” he said.
“I think overriding emotions are still sadness and disappointment, but I’m sure in time that will pass and I can get back to really enjoying my cricket and also be able to reflect on what an immense honour it is to captain your country and all the special things that come with that,” he added.
Buttler was appointed captain in 2022 after the international retirement of Eoin Morgan and he instantly won the T20 World Cup in Australia that year. But results in the two formats declined thereafter as England were knocked out in the group stages of the 2023 ODI World Cup. They then crashed out at the semifinal stage in the 2024 T20 World Cup after losing to India in Guyana.
