ENG vs NED: Eoin Morgan Throws His Support Behind Under-Pressure Jos Buttler And Matthew Mott

Former England captain Eoin Morgan has thrown his support behind under-pressure Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott following the team’s disastrous outing in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

England entered the competition as the reigning champions and were one of the strongest contenders for the title. However, the Jos Buttler-led side failed to live up to the expectations. They are already out of the semifinals race and are languishing at the bottom of the points table with just 1 win from 7 games.

England began their campaign with a 9-wicket loss against New Zealand before beating Bangladesh by 134 runs. The win, however, was followed by 6 defeats in a row including a first-ever defeat to Afghanistan. The horror run has not only ended England’s dream of defending the title but has also put them in danger of missing out on a 2025 Champions Trophy spot.

In the wake of the disastrous performance at the World Cup, there have been calls from several quarters to make wholesale changes to the England squad. There have been suggestions to start from the top by sacking Mott as the head coach and Buttler as the captain.

Eoin Morgan backs Mott and Buttler to continue:

With Buttler and Mott facing the heat, Eoin Morgan has urged the ECB to stick with the duo at least till next year’s T20 World Cup. Buttler was in charge of the team when England beat Pakistan to win the T20 World Cup for the second time last year.

“I certainly think that Jos and Matthew Mott should be kept on it at least until that T20 World Cup in USA and Caribbean in June next year. I think this is Matthew Mott’s first biggest challenge for England and in international men’s cricket and Jos has been here before. You know, they’re still establishing a strong relationship between each other,” Eoin Morgan said on Sky Sports.

“I believe last year’s win in Australia was down to the leadership group already set up in the change room before Matthew Mott came into the team and the simple fact, the reason behind that as to why I think it is because it would have been too early for Matthew Mott to take on any judgement. Really, if it went the other way, I would be saying the same thing. The blame should be on the players solely on the players, but I think he should be given a chance to correct things going forward,” he added,

Speaking further, Eoin Morgan, who led England to their first-ever World Cup title in 2019, said that there would be repercussions if England did not make it to the Champions Trophy. The teams for the 2025 Champions Trophy will be confirmed through the ongoing World Cup. The top 7 teams in the World Cup and hosts Pakistan will make it to the tournament.

“If Champions Trophy qualification isn’t sealed here at this World Cup, I think Rob Key, director cricket of the ECB, is going to come under immense pressure to ring changes, whether it is Matthew Mott or Jos Butler, various other strategies and planning around it,” Morgan said.

“You know, when Rob Key was here (at Sky Sports), he questioned the decision making process, so that will be under full review and investigation post this tournament. But they need to qualify for the Champions Trophy for a number of reasons, if not just the salvage their pride,” he added.