KEY POINTS
- Harry Brook may take the charge
- Decision influenced by England’s loss to Afghanistan: Buttler
- England suffered a 0-3 series loss to India before the tournament
Islamabad: Jos Buttler has announced that he will step down as England’s white-ball captain after the team’s campaign in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025. The 34-year-old made the decision ahead of England’s final league match against South Africa.
“It feels like the right decision for me and the team, and I hope someone else can work alongside Baz [Brendon McCullum] to guide the team back to where it needs to be,” Buttler stated during a press conference on Friday (February 28).
Buttler admitted that the decision was influenced by his team’s elimination from the tournament following losses to Australia and Afghanistan in Lahore.
England had already been in poor form, having suffered a 0-3 series loss to India just before the tournament in Pakistan and the UAE.
“I think it’s clear that the results in this tournament were going to determine my future as captain, and with two losses and being knocked out, plus the struggles from previous tournaments, it feels like my time has come to an end,” Buttler said. “It’s disappointing, but in time, I’m sure I’ll be able to reflect on what an incredible honour it has been to captain my country.”
Buttler as a captain
Buttler took over the captaincy from Eoin Morgan in 2022 and led England to victory in the T20 World Cup that year. However, results in both formats have declined since then, with England failing to progress past the group stages in the 2023 ODI World Cup and losing in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup.
To address the team’s struggles, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) appointed Brendon McCullum as head coach of the white-ball sides in 2025. Despite the change, Buttler’s partnership with McCullum did not yield the expected results, as England lost nine of their 10 white-ball games this year.
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“It’s disappointing, especially with Brendon coming in, as I was really excited to work with him and hoped for a quick turnaround, but it hasn’t worked out that way,” Buttler added. “It feels like the right time for both me and the team to move on.”
Harry Brook as the favourite
Harry Brook remains the heavy favourite to take over as England ODI captain following Champions Trophy exit.
Sunil Gavaskar has mocked Harry Brook’s dismissal against Afghanistan, referencing Brook’s own comments about smog during England’s previous series in India.
If Jos Buttler steps down from the captaincy, current vice-captain Harry Brook is the leading candidate to take over, with Betfair listing him as the favorite at 1/2 odds.
Liam Livingstone, who captained England in Buttler’s absence during last year’s West Indies tour, is the second favourite at 5/1, while Ben Duckett and Phil Salt follow at 9/1.
Brook as vice-captain
Brook officially became vice-captain ahead of the Champions Trophy in India and led the team during the summer series against Australia when Buttler was sidelined with injury, a series England lost 3-2.
However, Brook has faced criticism during the Champions Trophy and England’s series in India, both for his performances with the bat and for some controversial comments in the media.
After being dismissed to a soft caught-and-bowled chance against Afghanistan, Sunil Gavaskar mocked remarks Brook made about smog hindering England’s ability to pick spinner Varun Chakravarthy in India.
There have also been questions about Brook’s ability to handle spin in the 50-over format.
