England failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup 2023 and in the finals of the T20 World Cup. It invited immense criticism as head coach Matthew Mott was sacked from his role. Captain Jos Buttler was on the verge of losing captaincy but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to give him an extended run until the Champions Trophy 2025.
In the marquee tournament, England suffered a defeat to arch-rivals Australia in their opening game of the campaign. The batters, particularly Ben Duckett produced a brilliant show and courtesy of the same, the team posted 351 runs on the board. However, they ended up losing the game after a poor show from the bowling unit.
The Three Lions will challenge Afghanistan in their second game of the competition at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. They cannot afford to lose the game as a defeat might end their campaign in the tournament, as both Australia and South Africa now have three points to their name. In case that happens, Buttler may very well lose his place as the captain of the team.
Reflecting upon that, the 34-year-old noted that the stakes are high but he wants to focus on the positives rather than thinking about the negatives ahead of an important match.
“Yeah, absolutely. Any time, as an England captain, you want to perform, and to perform well, and you want to lead your team to winning games of cricket. We haven't been doing that enough in the recent past. But as soon as you catch yourself thinking about any negative things, you just try to forget that and focus on all the positive things that could go right and where you can take the team. I'm very much focused on that,” Buttler said in the press conference.