By Karan Agrawal 
England’s ODI and T20I captain Jos Buttler, has announced that he will step down as the captain of the team after the game against South Africa on Saturday. The decision is believed to have been taken following England’s below-par performance in limited-overs cricket since the retirement of former white ball captain Eoin Morgan in 2022. England failed to make it to the knockout stage of the 2023 ODI World Cup under the leadership of Jos Buttler which was followed by a below par performance in the T20 World Cup held in the USA and West Indies where the Jos Buttler led side crawled their way to the semi final of the tournament which included loses against test playing nations like India and Australia. The same story has been repeated in the ongoing edition of the Champions Trophy, with the 2019 World Cup winners getting thrashed by Afghanistan and bowing out of the tournament with no wins in two games so far.
The Decision
“I’m going to stand down as England captain,” Buttler said. “It’s the right decision for me and the right decision for the team. Hopefully somebody else who can come in alongside Baz [Brendon McCullum] will take the team to where it needs to be.” “It’s quite clear [what prompted this decision].” “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 from some tournaments before, it probably reached the end of the road for me and my captaincy.”
The Circumstances
While announcing the decision, Buttler said that he was excited to work with Brendon McCullum, and it was due to the circumstances that he had to make this tough call. In the words of Buttler, “It’s a shame. I am sad about that. With Brendon only coming in recently, I was excited about working closely with him and hoped for a quick turnaround to take the team forward, but it’s not worked out that way. It feels like it’s the right time for me and for the team to have a change.”
The Performance
Buttler led England in 95 international matches and won 44 of them, including a successful 2022 T20 World Cup campaign, which saw England win their second T20 World Cup title. Harry Brook, who is Buttler’s deputy, is expected to take up the role with his own form being under the scanner. The wicketkeeper batter said that he is honored to have led England and is looking to enjoy his cricket as a batter. “Overriding emotions are still sadness and disappointment, but I’m sure in time that will pass. I can get back to really enjoying my cricket. I will 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.”