'Heartbroken' Jos Buttler steps away from cricket, pauses career after T20 World Cup semi-final defeat

England white-ball captain Jos Buttler expressed disappointment after his team's loss against the Indian team in the semi-final of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Jos Buttler stated that he wants to take a break from cricket to spend time with his family after being knocked out of the ICC tournament.

The defending champions were outplayed by the Rohit Sharma-led team in the semi-final match in Guyana on Thursday, June 27. The Jos Buttler-led team suffered a 68-run loss while chasing a target of 172 runs. The English batters failed to counter Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in the match.

They Played Well As Well - Jos Buttler

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Jos Buttler said that the England bowlers conceded 20-25 runs more than the par score in the match on that challenging pitch. Buttler admitted that they were disappointed with the result and added that they did not utilize Moeen Ali more effectively.

“A little bit of both. I thought they played well as well. I thought we bowled a little bit without luck in the power play, a few close calls there. But, yes, I think the benefit of hindsight and reflecting, I would have got Moeen [Ali] in the game of course. So, yes, bits and pieces here and there. Yeah, disappointing. I think we were outplayed by India. They fully deserved the victory. So, yeah, I thought they had an above-par score. I was hoping to restrict them to 145 - 150 probably on that pitch. It was always going to be a tough chase from there.”

India captain Rohit Sharma scored 57 runs off 39 balls, while Suryakumar Yadav added 47 runs off 36 balls. The Men in Blue posted a total of 171/7 on a slow pitch. England pacer Chris Jordan took three wickets for 37 runs in his three overs. Jos Buttler used Liam Livingstone ahead of Moeen Ali in the match.

In response, left-arm spinner Axar Patel set the tone by dismissing Jos Buttler in the third over. Kuldeep Yadav (3/19) and Axar Patel (3/23) each took three wickets as India bowled England out for 103. The victory was significant for the Indian team as they avenged their T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final loss in Adelaide.

Looking Forward To Some Time Away From The Game - Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler stated that he wants to take a break from cricket before England's upcoming series against Australia in September, comprising three T20Is and five ODIs at home. He emphasized the need to stay away from the game, particularly after the emotional impact of the recent loss.

"To be honest, I'm just looking forward to some time away from the game. I think, as I sit here, emotional after a loss, I don't need to dive too deep into it right now. I just look forward to some space from the game," Buttler said when asked about his thoughts on captaincy.

Also read: "Get behind Virat Kohli" - Harsha Bhogle urges fan clubs to avoid 'angry and vicious banter' ahead of T20 World Cup final