Brendon McCullum announces Jos Buttler's successors as England captains

England head coach Brendon McCullum said that the team might have separate captains for ODIs and T20Is following Jos Buttler’s resignation as white-ball skipper. The 43-year-old has not ruled out the possibility of bringing in a player from outside the current squad to take up the leadership role.

England are searching for a new white-ball captain after their disappointing campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where they were eliminated in the group stage. Ahead of their final group-stage match, Jos Buttler announced his decision to step down as captain of the ODI and T20I teams.

If It’s Two, That’s Great, Too - Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum said that the team can have the same captain for ODIs and T20Is or separate leaders for each format. He stated that he would take a few weeks to assess the strategy to get the team back on track.

“If it’s the same person, great, if it’s two, that’s great, too. Give me a couple of weeks to work it out and get this thing back on track,” Brendon McCullum said.

Give Us a Couple of Weeks to Work It All Out - Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum stated that England would take a few weeks to assess their options before making a decision on the new white-ball captain.

"Give us a couple of weeks to work it all out, sort of digest what's happened over the past month and a half, and then we will start to plot and plan our way forward from there."

England will play their next white-ball series against West Indies, beginning on May 29. The T20 World Cup will take place in India and Sri Lanka in early 2026. Harry Brook is the frontrunner to replace Jos Buttler as white-ball captain. Brook served as vice-captain and also led the team in Buttler's absence.

However, he is a regular in the Test squad, which will raise workload concerns. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) may appoint Brook as the ODI captain while selecting a different leader for T20Is, which would result in three separate captains. All-rounder Ben Stokes is leading the Test team.

We Are in a Stage in the Cricket Landscape - Chris Woakes

England bowler Chris Woakes said that having separate captains for ODIs and T20Is could definitely work in modern cricket. Woakes said that the formats are vastly different, with ODIs requiring a strategic approach closer to Test cricket rather than being just an extended version of T20s.

"It could definitely work, I don't see why not. I feel we are in a stage in the cricket landscape where that can be the way forward," Woakes told the Test Match Special podcast.

"The formats are very different. Extremely different. 50-over is not just an extended T20 game. It's not, there are more games within the game, which is closer to Test cricket and being able to do things for longer."

Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt have led the national team over the past year. Sam Billings, who guided Oval Invincibles to victory in The Hundred last year, has not featured for England since November 2022. James Vince, last seen in international cricket in March 2023, has experience leading Hampshire.

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