I See No Reason Why Jos Buttler Needs To Retire From Test Cricket, Says Rob Key

The managing director of England men’s cricket Rob Key has said that he sees not a great explanation for why Jos Buttler ought to have to resign from Tests cricket, given his stunning form, and added that the 32-year-old hitter might in any case turn into an “extraordinary” red-ball batter soon.

Buttler finished the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 with Rajasthan Royals scoring 863 runs — the second-largest number of runs in a single season of the league — indenting four centuries and an equivalent number of half-centuries.

Jos Buttler Dropped From Test Team After Poor Ashes Performance

The veteran of 57 Tests was not included for the away three-Test series against the West Indies due to his form in the Ashes, where he oversaw only 107 runs at 15.28. He missed the fifth and last Test in Australia in view of injury and his place was taken by Ben Foakes for the Caribbean visit, in which England lost 0-1.

Buttler has a respectable Test career, having scored 2,907 runs at an average of 31.94 in 57 Tests yet the less than impressive execution in the Ashes was a major disaster for his red-ball career.

Rob Key Confident Of Jos Buttler’s Comeback In Red Ball Cricket

However, Key, showing up on ‘The Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club’ show said, “Well, at the moment, Jos is obviously playing white-ball cricket. He’s not in that Test side but I see no reason why Jos Buttler needs to retire from playing Test cricket.

“Now, unless he turns around and says ‘I just want to go down that white-ball path’ then that’s a different conversation. He’s had a pretty big IPL,” added Key.

“I think he’ll come back and then he will start thinking about things but even if in a year’s time, whenever it is, I don’t see why he has to retire unless he turns around and says, ‘I have no interest in the red-ball game whatsoever, it’s not for me.’

I always thought that he could be an outstanding Test match batsman-wicket-keeper,” added Key.

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