Joe Root Confident Jos Buttler Will Come Good As England's White-ball Captain

As England’s new white-ball captain, Jos Buttler needs time and patience, and Joe Root believes that despite his shaky start, he will be able to follow Eoin Morgan.

The team’s sixth defeat in seven games under Buttler’s permanent leadership came at Chester-le-Street, where they lost to South Africa by a score of 62 runs.

The losing run against India covers consecutive T20I and One Day International games. Ben Stokes played his final ODI match for England against South Africa, marking the latest retirement this summer after Morgan’s decision to end his international career. 

Joe Root Backs Jos Buttler

The World Cup-winning seam attack is also absent, according to Buttler, and Joe Root, a veteran of 188 limited-overs matches for England and a former Test captain, feels the new skipper’s shaky start is acceptable. 

“I think for Jos and a number of the guys who’ve been around this setup for a couple of years, there’s been a lot of change in a very short space of time,” said Root, who top-scored with 86 in England’s unsuccessful chase of 334 on Tuesday (July 19). 

“And that sometimes can just take a little bit of getting used to and there’s not been that time yet where you can really sit and reflect and sort of work things out. 

“So I think there has to be some sort of understanding towards that. 

“But they are big figures that you mentioned, influential players, and that creates great opportunities for guys to step right up and really take hold of a few positions within the team and not just in terms of performance, but in filling those leadership voids as well. 

“There are some very talented players, some great cricket minds that can go on and do some special things like Eoin has done and Ben has done as well for the last seven to 10 years.” 

Little has changed from the Morgan era, when batters were allowed the freedom to express themselves, regarding England’s strategy with the bat, where they have largely been vulnerable this summer. However, despite the fact that the new white ball has more movement due to the weather, England’s play has been subpar, and opponents have caught on. 

You Have Always Got To Look To Evolve: Joe Root

Buttler wants to carry on Morgan’s guiding principles, but Joe Root has cautioned that the team must also advance. 

“I think as a team, you’ve always got to look to evolve,” he added. “You always do. And I think we did that very well over a four-year period.  

“I don’t think we just said ‘right this is how we’re going to do it for four years and we can’t move away from that.’ 

“I think we grew and we evolved and developed and became good in different situations in different conditions around the world. 

“I prefer to face a red ball in the last series rather than the white ball, they seem to be doing all sorts” 

“We had to be if we were going to be consistent and take some of the best teams on in their own conditions. 

“I think that’s exactly as things will have to happen moving forward as well. I know Jos has got a great cricket mind, he understands this game brilliantly. 

“He’s going to be a great captain. And I don’t think these results are a fair reflection of the way that he’s going about his business as a leader. 

“Sometimes it does take time for things to bed in. I don’t think it will take that long with him. I just think that we haven’t had a lot of the format. We’ve had a very busy schedule.” 

There Is Too Much Cricket Rammed In For People To Play All Three Formats: Ben Stokes

Stokes finally decided to abandon his ODI career at the age of 31 due to his hectic schedule. The allrounder admitted “there is too much cricket rammed in for people to play all three formats,” and the news has sparked a conversation about the relentless schedule. 

“I think most important thing is that people turn up to watch cricket games that have got the best players playing and you want to play against the best as a player,” said Root, who is essentially a two-format player having not been picked for a T20I since May 2019. 

“I’m not personally driven by money, we are very fortunate to be in the position we are. 

“Again, these are decisions that are out of my hands and thankfully I’m not even in discussions with them anymore because I’m not a captain.” 

We Have To Learn Quickly: Joe Root

At Old Trafford on Friday (July 22), where England fell by five wickets to India last weekend in the series’ highest-scoring game, South Africa can win the series with one game remaining. 

Joe Root thinks that the environment is more similar to what England experienced at home in the years preceding their 2019 World Cup victory. 

“It’s been conducive to a very different kind of cricket,” he added. “I prefer to face a red ball in the last series rather than the white ball, they seem to be doing all sorts. 

“But that’s sometimes how things go. It’s not been how it has been traditionally in England for the last four or five years but as players, you pride yourself on being able to adapt and conquer all conditions you come up against. 

“Three out of the four have been very unusual white ball wickets to what you’d normally expect in England. 

“But you’ve still got to be better than the opposition in those conditions and there have been, obviously, occasions where we’ve come up short and we have to learn quickly from that and we will.” 

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