Is Buttler’s form a worry? England’s T20 World Cup so far analysed

Job done or a worrying start?

England‘s group stage at the T20 World Cup was a mixed bag – some good but overall unconvincing.

Sam Curran and Will Jacks have provided reasons to be positive but Jos Buttler‘s tricky start is a concern.

Scores of three against both Italy and Scotland mean Buttler made only 53 runs across the group stage – a low return for one of England’s key men.

The 35-year-old has had a quiet winter with no fifties in 15 international innings across all formats, though a 97 not out in the SA20 in January casts doubt on those writing him off entirely.

Buttler’s dismissals against Italy and Scotland were almost identical.

Looking for his first boundary from his fourth ball, he miscued a length ball in the off-stump channel to mid-off.

“Maybe he is trying too hard to get a score on the board,” said Buttler’s former England team-mate Dawid Malan.

“The last two innings he has played, he has tried to hit the ball over mid-on.

“Knowing him and playing with him, his gameplan is generally to look to the off side first and then pick up leg side, so maybe he’s just going back to his basics.

All three of his dismissals against pace, including nicking off against Nepal seamer Nandan Yadav, have come against balls clocked between 75-82mph.

Since the start of 2024, Buttler has struggled against pace bowlers in that bracket more than any other – with an average of 35.8 and a strike-rate of 129.

Perhaps more concerningly, given the tournament now returns to the turning tracks of Sri Lanka, his average against spin in T20 internationals has dropped to 24.1 since 2024 from 61.8 across the two years prior.

Even with making 202-7 against Italy, there remains a feeling England’s batting is yet to fully fire at this tournament.

They posted 184-7 against Nepal, were bowled out for 166 by West Indies and wobbled when chasing 153 in their victory over the Scots.

The problem has not been batters getting in.

Englishmen have reached 25 runs 14 times so far – the most of any team in the competition – but only four of those knocks have been converted into fifties. No England player has made a score above 75.

Will Jacks rejected the notion this is due to batters failing to take responsibility.

“Responsibility in T20 can be misunderstood,” he said. “Sometimes the responsibility is to try and hit 30 off the over.”

Malan believes The Hundred may be having an impact.

“There’s more emphasis on the first 10 overs now, so if you lose wickets in those first 10 overs then it makes it harder towards the end, but you still need to keep going,” he said.

“I used to always worry more about the second 10 overs, so it was about setting things up and then being able to get to that 180 or 190-mark, if the score and wicket dictated it.

Captain Harry Brook has now got out against spin in three innings in a row after beginning the tournament with 53 against Nepal.

This is a familiar issue for Brook, who averages 47 against pace in T20 internationals since the start of 2024 but only 23.5 against spin.

Brook’s struggles are curious, given his stunning 136 not out on a turning pitch in a one-day international in Sri Lanka last month.

Could Harry Brook struggle in that department then?

“It has probably been his weakness but, saying that, when you bat at four, five or six in T20 cricket and you’re walking in at the ninth or 10th over, the majority of balls you are going to face are spin,” Malan said.

“If he is out there for eight overs and he is facing six overs of spin, there is a high chance he’s going to get out against spin after starting against spin.

“He changed his technique at the beginning of the year to become better at spin.

One of the positives of this World Cup so far has been Jacks’ promising returns as England’s finisher.

His 39 not out from 18 balls in the four-run win over Nepal was crucial – so too his maiden T20 international fifty against Italy from the tricky position of 101-5.

Jacks’ bowling is more of a concern, however.

With leg-spinner Adil Rashid, plus two left-arm spinners in Liam Dawson and Jacob Bethell, in the squad, Jacks’ bowling role is more significant given he turns the ball in the other direction as an off-spinner.

It is problematic for England that his six overs have cost 83 runs with two wickets in return.

Jacks has struggled most when being swept, conceding 31 runs from eight sweep shots in the group stage.

Sam Curran came through twice when England were under the most pressure during the group stage.

Against Nepal, he successfully defended 10 from the last over.

When Italy and Grant Stewart were flying in Monday, Curran stopped the runs and then dismissed the right-hander.

Curran, who was out of favour until September last year, has taken on the role of England’s death bowler to good effect.

He has been especially effective with yorkers – going at 5.07 runs per over with a full length at the death, compared to 14.14 with anything shorter.

Curran is often credited with having a canny mix of slower balls but he has largely kept his pace above 80mph in those crucial final stages.