LAHORE: England skipper Jos Buttler opened up on his captaincy future after Afghanistan knocked his team out of the tournament in the eighth match of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 here at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing a daunting total of 326 in a virtual knockout, England were bowled out on 317 in 49.5 overs. Afghanistan Azmatullah Omarzai starred with the ball, taking a five-wicket haul.
With this victory, Afghanistan kept their hopes alive for the Champions Trophy, while England, the runners-up in 2004 and 2013, were eliminated from the tournament after losing their first two matches.
Following the defeat, Buttler, in a post-match press conference, stated that he would “consider all possibilities.”
“It’s tough to say, stood here right now, and I don’t want to make any sort of emotional statements.”
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“But I think it’s fair to say that you’ve got to consider all possibilities,” Buttler said.
He emphasized the joys and challenges of being a captain, as well as the current form of the England team.
“I’ve enjoyed it [the captaincy]. I’ve seen lots of people say it doesn’t sit well with me, but I do enjoy it. I enjoy the challenge.”
“Obviously I don’t enjoy losing games of cricket and the results. And of course when they’re not going well, you do look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘Am I part of the problem or am I part of the solution?’ I think that’s what I’ve got to work out.” he remarked.
Jos Buttler further asserted that his future as a captain is not in his hands and will take a little time to think about the leadership role.
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“You [the press] are probably not the first people I’d discuss that with,” he said. “I’ll take a little bit of time to work out, personally, what I think is right, and obviously, the guys at the top are in charge, and they’ll have their own views as well.” the skipper concluded.
For the unversed, Jos Buttler guided England to victory in the 2022 T20 World Cup, his first tournament as captain.
However, the team has struggled since then, losing six of nine matches in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The team experienced a heavy defeat to India in the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup and is now being knocked out of the Champions Trophy with one group match left, having lost consecutively to Australia and Afghanistan.
READ: Champions Trophy: Afghanistan script iconic victory over England in last-over thriller