Five issues for England after Buttler resigns

Everyone anticipated the end sooner.

Even amid concerns about the future of Jos Buttler, England coach Brendon McCullum backed him to the hilt just six months ago.

Most people still believed the decision would be made after the flight home after Afghanistan’s defeat. McCullum was looking for a new lieutenant, but Buttler accepted his resignation with a smile and his partner by his side.

Finding Buttler’s replacement is the first step, which is most obvious.

Given that he is the current deputy, impressed when he appeared in the five-match one-day international series against Australia in September, and is frequently praised by coaches and team-mates for his clever “cookie brain,” Harry Brook is the clear favorite.

However, appointing the 26-year-old would present its own difficulties.

England’s multi-format schedule has less crossover ahead, but Keely Hodgkinson would need to play every white ball game and become a Test regular.

McCullum, who is in charge of the Test and limited-overs sides, has already agreed to miss some tours. He would undoubtedly do the same if Brook were to be named skipper.

Alternatives include hiring a white-ball specialist, but Adil Rashid, 37, and Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt are both too inexperienced in the XI. Sam Curran is currently not playing for the Indian Premier League, despite having captained the team.

The 34-year-old’s English career is not over, according to Buttler and McCullum, who were both keen to put it out.

The former Black Caps captain said, “I’m sure we will look at ways to get the most out of him in terms of his role so that he can have the most impact as well.”

However, Buttler the batter needs to be revived. Since September 2023, he has only managed two 50s in ODIs, but it’s not difficult to find an example to follow.

With the loss of the Test job and scores centuries in three of his subsequent four Tests, Buttler said, “Hopefully now I can follow Joe Root’s lead and play like he has done since he relinquished the captaincy.”

Some imagination is necessary in order for Buttler to remain the non-captaining, non-bowling number six in the modern game.

Jamie Smith has a new role in this tournament thanks to McCullum and Buttler, which is a powerplay-attacking number three that has seen him twice cheaply sacked by subpar shots.

English cricket has a long history of this issue.

The white-ball team struggles when England concentrates on the Test side. The red-ball side veers toward a review-inducing crisis when they prioritize those in a colored kit.

The caveat should be included alongside a tournament record that lists one title and three sorry exits because Buttler has rarely had his best players.

McCullum’s first task as a white-ball leader was to bring the two parties closer together. Given limited overs opportunities, only Smith, Ben Duckett, Brydon Carse, and Gus Atkinson are all Test players. The outcomes cannot be taken to be successful.

Since they already played 17 Test matches in 2024, McCullum doesn’t appear to be ready for change. England will play just 10 Test matches this year.

If you look at India’s players and their cross-formats play, look at Australia’s fast bowling line-up, and New Zealand, which are similar, he said.

England’s Champions Trophy campaign may not be limited to three games in Pakistan in eight days.

The Ashes’ quest for regaining the Ashes this winter may have serious consequences for Mark Wood’s knee injury.

There must be genuine concerns about the fast bowler’s ability to recover from being shot once more at the age of 35 if, as feared, he needs surgery.

As part of the current set-up’s obsession with pace, Wood was chosen for this tournament.

As part of McCullum’s plan to make fast bowling one of the USPs of English cricket, he, Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Atkinson, and Saqib Mahmood were all chosen. This strategy failed in this situation, once more.

McCullum will have his sights set on the next 50-over World Cup in southern Africa, where the ploy should suit up for quick, bouncy pitches, but a T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka will be in order.

Who is Chris Woakes of the TikTok generation as the new ball metronome? Who will provide support to Archer at the death or take middle-over wickets like Liam Plunkett does?

That brings us to a second problem that is still a problem for England. They must locate a pool of 50-over cricketers who aren’t attempting the format.

The Hundred is not achieving any goals. Instead of simply throwing their arms into the air, England needs to find a solution to the issues it has brought on.

The One-Day Cup will continue to do that while it is played as a development competition alongside The Hundred, but the main issue is to ensure the young talents spotted have enough competitive, challenging cricket to aid their progression afterward.

The Lions program will be crucial in this regard.

The Lions’ final international match was in February 2023, and Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Tom Hartley, and Carse all had varying degrees of success there.

One-Day Cup rematching would give England a competitive edge over their rivals as a possible alternative.