England’s Champions Trophy Exit Marks the End of Buttler’s Leadership Era, But He Vows to Continue Playing
Karachi, February 28: Jos Buttler has officially stepped down as England’s white-ball captain, following their disastrous group-stage exit at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. England, who will play their final match against South Africa on Saturday, were eliminated after suffering back-to-back defeats against Australia and Afghanistan.
“I’m going to stand down as England captain. It’s the right decision for me and the right decision for the team,” Buttler said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
A Leadership Tenure Marked by Highs and Lows
Buttler, who took over as England’s full-time white-ball captain in June 2022, led the team to T20 World Cup glory later that year. However, since then, England’s performances in ICC tournaments have declined sharply:
🏏 ODI World Cup 2023: Knocked out in seventh place in the group stage
🏏 T20 World Cup 2024: Reached the semi-finals, but lost to India
🏏 Champions Trophy 2025: Eliminated after two consecutive losses
“This tournament was always going to be a crucial one for my captaincy. Two losses and an early exit made it quite clear—I had reached the end of the road,” Buttler admitted.
England’s White-Ball Struggles Continue
Despite high hopes under new head coach Brendon McCullum, England’s struggles persisted. The ‘Bazball’ era, which transformed England’s Test cricket, failed to translate into white-ball success.
“With Brendon coming in, I was really excited to work closely with him and hoped for a quick turnaround. But it hasn’t worked out, so it just feels like the right time for a change,” Buttler explained.
Buttler’s Captaincy Record
📊 ODI Record: 44 matches – 18 wins, 25 losses, 1 no result (42% win rate)
📊 T20I Record: 51 matches – 26 wins, 22 losses, 3 no results (54% win rate)
What’s Next for Buttler?
Despite stepping down as captain, Buttler confirmed he will continue to play for England and hopes to rediscover his love for the game.
“The overriding emotions are sadness and disappointment, but I’ll take time to reflect and get back to enjoying my cricket,” he said.
With England set to look for a new leader, all eyes will be on who takes over to steer the team forward in their white-ball rebuilding phase.
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Jos Buttler Resigns, England Cricket, ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Brendon McCullum, England White-Ball Captain, England Cricket Leadership, Buttler Captaincy Record, ODI World Cup 2023, T20 World Cup 2024, England vs South Africa