ENG vs OMN: 'Vulnerable' Jos Buttler, Matthew Mott's position under threat as Nasser Hussain fires colossal warning

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has highlighted the vulnerability of skipper Jos Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott, as the defending champions are facing the prospect of an early exit from the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The England cricket team’s disappointing performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 has been putting significant pressure on Buttler and Mott. Now, to keep their hopes alive, England must secure victories over both Namibia and Oman in their remaining Group B games in the tournament.

Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott's jobs at risk amid T20 World Cup 2024 struggles

However, even these wins might not guarantee the England team a spot in the Super Eight stage, as Scotland and Australia are set to play the final game of Group B, with the winner of the 2021 edition already qualified for the next round of the tournament. On the other hand, Scotland is sitting comfortably in the second spot with 5 points.

The situation is critical for Buttler and Mott, especially due to England's recent miserable performance in the ICC events. In the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, the England team suffered defeat against Australia, and their match with Scotland was abandoned due to rain, leaving the defending champions trailing at number four in the Group B standings by 1 point.

Well, the pair of Buttler and Mott already saw a disappointing campaign in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, where England won only three out of nine games, failing to reach the semi-finals, and now their possible early exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 puts the coach and captain under scrutiny.

Well, Hussain, criticizing Buttler and Mott’s leadership, insisted that one poor World Cup can be exempted, especially when starting as double world champions, but back-to-back failures in the mega ICC events are much harder to justify.

Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott are vulnerable: Jos Buttler

However, Hussain advised that any final judgments on the captain and coach should be taken only after the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. If England can rise to the occasion and secure decisive victories with great margins against Namibia and Oman, the immediate pressure might be eased, so Nasser feels the ECB should not rush into the matter.

Nasser Hussain wrote in his column for The Daily Mail: “Make no mistake: Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott are vulnerable. You can absorb one poor World Cup, especially when you began as double world champions, but two letdowns would be trickier to explain away. It’s up to England to show what a good side they are.

They must not only beat Oman and Namibia, but beat them well enough to ensure they end up with a better net run-rate than Scotland. Any judgments about the captain and coach should take place once the tournament is over. If England can turn it on, that moment can be postponed until well beyond the weekend.”

He believes England's struggles are deepened by minor issues, making them appear worse in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Hussain advised England to avoid past mistakes by selecting the best team for current conditions, suggesting Mark Wood over Reece Topley to overpower Oman and Namibia's weaker batting line-ups in their remaining games in the tournament.