Jos Buttler to step down as captain after T20 WC semi-final defeat? Ex-England cricketer delivers no-nonsense verdict

Former England cricketer Nick Knight opened up about Jos Buttler's future as the white-ball captain of the national cricket team. Nick Knight stated that if Jos Buttler wants to continue in the role, the wicketkeeper-batsman should lead the team despite a disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup 2024.

The England team entered the T20 World Cup as the defending champions. Their first game against Scotland was abandoned due to the rain. They then suffered a loss to Australia in their second match. They depended on Australia's victory over Scotland to advance to the Super Eight stages of the World Cup.

England got the better of the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) in Group 2. The Jos Buttler-led team failed to defeat the Indian team in the second semi-final at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday, June 27. They were knocked out of the tournament after suffering a 68-run loss in the match.

Don't See Any Reason Why Not - Nick Knight

Nick Knight questioned whether Jos Buttler should continue as white-ball captain after the T20 World Cup 2024. Knight said that if Jos Buttler wants to continue in the role, he should lead the team. Knight highlighted that the management should consider new options if he doesn't want to lead the team.

"I think if he really wants to, then I don't see any reason why not. It's an easy thing, a major tournament comes to an end, and we as pundits and people at home, we need to change this. This needs to be changed. Who would be the guy to come in and do it? If he did do it, you always have to have a kind of leadership plan moving forward. I'm not sure that's straightforward," Knight told ESPNCricinfo

"I don't think there's a question mark over Jos Buttler not being able to find his best form as captain. You could say that captaincy burdened his form, that would be one plus for Buttler. He's taken over from Eoin Morgan. I always feel with Jos that he's still trying to get the concepts a little better. If he wants to do it, I think he should probably carry on doing it. If he doesn't, then no problem with him moving aside."

Jos Buttler was the leading run-getter for England in the T20 World Cup 2024. The right-handed batter scored 214 runs at an impressive average of 42.80 and a strike rate of 158.52, with a best score of 83 runs. He scored 23 runs off 15 balls, including four boundaries, in the semi-final match against India.

The England team will play their next white-ball series against Australia at home in September. England will host three T20Is and five ODIs against Australia. Before the white-ball assignment, the England team will host the Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka in July-August.

Also read: "That will be shocking" - Sanjay Manjrekar's bold claim on T20 World Cup 2024 final result