Jos Buttler hits back at Ravi Shastri after the latter levels serious allegations against England team

England captain Jos Buttler refuted renowned commentator Ravi Shastri's claims that the team skipped practice during their 0-3 ODI series loss against India. Jos Buttler stated that the England team had engaged in plenty of practice throughout the long tour despite some travel days that hindered training.

The visiting team concluded their disastrous tour of India with a 142-run defeat in the final ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 12. England’s batting struggled throughout the series, despite the openers showing promise. Earlier, they lost the five-match T20I series 4-1.

I’m Not Sure That’s Quite True, to Be Honest - Jos Buttler

After England's lackluster performance while chasing a 357-run target in the third ODI, Ravi Shastri criticized their preparations. In a post-match discussion, Shastri said that England did not practice enough for the challenges posed by playing in the subcontinent.

Jos Buttler responded to accusations that the team had minimal practice during the ODI series. He said that the team missed training on some days due to long travel. Buttler emphasized that their positive environment shouldn't be mistaken for a lack of effort.

“I’m not sure that’s quite true to be honest. It’s been a reasonably long tour with a few long travel days. There’s been a couple of times where we’ve not trained, but we’ve certainly done plenty of training through the tour," Buttler said after the ODI series against India.

"We obviously try to create a really good environment but don’t mistake that for a lazy environment or a lack of effort. The guys are desperate to perform and do well and improve," he added.

We Want Results to Build Confidence and Win Games - Jos Buttler

It was England's fourth consecutive series loss since the 2023 World Cup. Jos Buttler said that the team's confidence won't be shaken ahead of their next challenge in Pakistan. He added that the team is facing strong opposition and still has room to perform at their best.

"We want the results to build confidence and win games - that feels a lot better having won matches as opposed to losing. We're up against a good side in their own conditions, they're probably the benchmark in ODI cricket at the moment," Buttler said.

We Haven't Played Near Our Potential - Jos Buttler

Buttler admitted that England hasn't played to their full potential in recent matches. Buttler believes that once the team reaches its potential, they will be a strong contender in the upcoming ICC tournament.

"We've not played near our potential, we've had some moments in games, never enough to force results or look like winning games of cricket in the last three matches. But I think the fact we're not anywhere near our potential yet or playing individually or collectively where we know we can be gives us something to look forward to, believe we can get there and be a dangerous team in the Champions Trophy," Buttler said.

England will kick off their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Australia on February 22 in Lahore. With England grouped alongside Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan, their current form raises concerns for their prospects in the tournament.

Also read: Kevin Pietersen brutally attacks England Cricket Team after Ravi Shastri's shocking allegations