After a dismal performance in the World Cup, Jos Buttler has returned to the tour and is getting ready for another one-day international series. He promises to view the experience as a positive one and is determined to revitalize England’s ODI team.

Buttler’s batting average was only 15.33 during England’s nine matches in India, where they lost six games. Despite this, he maintains his confidence as both a player and captain after taking time to reflect on the campaign.

“I must use this as inspiration and drive to propel both myself and the team towards success,” he stated. “Moving forward, I will carry this as a valuable lesson and use it to fuel my future endeavors. Though it is a major disappointment, it does not determine my character or my entire career. Instead, I will utilize it to approach new opportunities with enthusiasm and embrace the obstacles that lie ahead.”

Buttler has not considered changing his placement in the middle of the lineup – “It has been my biggest strength in this format and I want to focus on it even more” – and has not doubted his decision-making, despite making several choices at the coin toss that ultimately led to losses.

“It’s simple to play the role of Captain Hindsight, isn’t it? When it comes down to it, if you don’t perform well enough to execute your strategy, your choices can become meaningless,” he stated. “I refuse to be the type of person who, after the game, regrets not making a different decision. You have to have confidence in yourself.”

Despite having limited time to relax after returning from the World Cup and heading to Antigua for a three-game series against West Indies starting on Sunday, Buttler quickly recovered from his World Cup fatigue.

“I have reached a point in my life and career where I have gained valuable perspective,” he stated. “When I return home, my two children are not concerned with the World Cup. Despite facing disappointments, I am a proud individual and understand that life moves forward and the world is constantly changing. There is always something to anticipate and situations are never as dire or as great as we imagine them to be.”

Out of the 16 players participating in the World Cup, only six will be playing in this series. However, Reece Topley is already part of the squad and getting ready for the Twenty20 matches that will come after. The batting lineup will be led by Phil Salt and Will Jacks, who have a lot of experience in Test matches. Among the other specialist batters, Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, and Ollie Pope have played more Test matches than ODIs, while Harry Brook has appeared in 12 of each.

“It marks a fresh start,” stated Buttler. “There is a wealth of promising skill in this squad, with young players eager to showcase their abilities. Additionally, there are some individuals who may not have had much exposure to ODI cricket but possess a great deal of experience in the Test format.”

“I believe there is a good mix of both ambition and talented players who have already achieved success in international cricket. The energy is fantastic and the Caribbean is the perfect setting to begin this journey.”

Source: theguardian.com