Jos Buttler: Having a full strength T20 squad makes sense in a World Cup year

The England wicketkeeper oozed calm when faced with familiar questions about the ECB’s squad rotation policy ahead of England’s T20 series against India

Jos Buttler is calmness personified.

Speaking ahead of England’s first T20 against India on Friday, the wicketkeeper-batsman was quizzed two or three times on the ECB’s rotation policy, whether he would miss England’s first Test against New Zealand in June, and if players should skip the IPL instead of international fixtures. And, in a promising sign for England fans, he returned every question with a straight bat.

The only time he looked remotely perturbed was when someone proposed the theory that England’s rotation policy favoured Eoin Morgan’s side – an insinuation Buttler was keen to dismiss.

"I think that’s quite an inaccurate statement to be honest," he said. "If you look back at the summer, we didn’t have a full strength squad available for those games. The only time I’d say we’ve had a full strength T20 side has been the South Africa tour, and we’ve got what is, at the moment, a full strength squad in India. If you look ahead to the summer, I don’t think it will be possible to have a full strength side [again].  

"Eoin [Morgan], Joe [Root], Chris Silverwood and the whole of the ECB have worked closely to try and balance things as best they can in an incredibly difficult situation. It makes complete sense to be here in India – ahead of a World Cup which will be played in these conditions – [and] play as best we can in this series."

^{Buttler hits a six against Australia in September}

Continuing to voice his support for the rotation policy, the 30-year old – one of several players to miss recent Test matches – added: "It’s been much talked about how we can best look after players in what is an incredibly packed schedule. Even in normal circumstances, you’d be looking at player workloads [and] building a large group of players who can compete in all formats.

"[We’d] rather prevent problems than react to them. The ECB and the players are working closely on all that and I think we need to get away from the idea that you just go until you break. There’s so much cricket coming up. Obviously, there’s the huge carrot of the Ashes at the end of the year and you need to get to that point with players in the best shape to go and perform in that series as opposed to being burnt out and no longer wanting to be in that environment."

Buttler also suggested those criticising players for committing to the Indian Premier League despite England's busy schedule should examine the contribution the tournament has had to the international side’s white-ball fortunes.

"The IPL is a huge draw for players and it’s hugely beneficial not only to the individual, but also to us an England cricket side,” he said. “It’s a big feather in the cap that 12 [England] players this year are in demand to play in the world’s biggest tournament.

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"There are obvious benefits in player improvement, the skills you learn and the experiences you gain  - especially at the moment with the IPL being played where the World T20 is being played. There are so many plusses to the IPL and it’s been quite obvious [with] the upturn in the white-ball game in England and the number of players participating in it, how beneficial it is to us all."

After their disappointing 3-1 defeat in the Test series – including two defeats in Ahmedabad which took under three days each – England will be keen to bounce back in the upcoming T20s. Jonny Bairstow, in particular, will be desperate to impress after scoring just 28 runs in four innings since returning to the bubble. However, Buttler doesn’t believe the Test mauling will have any impact on England’s white-ball game.

"They [The Test players] are probably quite excited for a change of format and to train against the white ball," he said. "It allows you to bat in quite a different manner than they have been in the last few games and the change of format is great for that. It can re-energise you.

"There’s loads of different players around who haven’t been here, so that brings a lot of energy to those guys and I know the boys are excited to get going. It’s quite a different squad; there’s only a few left from the Test guys and they’re excited for the change of format."

Regarding his own performances, Buttler – who scored 291 runs at an average of 48.5 in 2020 – will be trialling a new mindset after spotting a flaw in his game.

"I’m continuously learning and looking at other players and how they set up their innings or chasing down targets," he said. "I operate around a run rate and trying to make sure I’m up with the rate. [But] I watched other players in the IPL and internationals, and they see chasing as 'we need to hit seven sixes in the remaining five overs.'

"I’ve never thought of it like that before and I’m just trying to bring that into my mathematics of chasing scores down. Not looking at runs per ball or runs an over but 'if we hit x sixes, we’ll win the game.' I always like to be in and around the rate but there’s other guys who allow the rate to get larger and back their six hitting. It’s more about me backing my six hitting and knowing I can rely on it if I need it."

"The IPL is a huge draw for players and it’s hugely beneficial not only to the individual, but also to us an England cricket side. It’s a big feather in the cap that 12 [England] players this year are in demand to play in the world’s biggest tournament"

And looking ahead to the T20 World Cup in autumn, Buttler knows this series is the perfect springboard to set England up for a successful tournament.

"It’s hugely important. It’s of great benefit to us being here [and] to be able to play in Ahmedabad, a brand new stadium which will probably play a big part in the World Cup that no one’s played [in] before," he said.

"It’s a big advantage for us to learn about this particular stadium and the conditions and I think as a T20 side, we struggle as the pitches get slower and the ball takes more spin. Playing five matches at the same ground it may start to slow up, and that might be something that comes into this [World Cup] tournament which would be good exposure for us.

"India [as hosts] are going to be favourites for the [World Cup]. It’s great for us to play against of the best teams in the tournament in these conditions. It’s vital for us to play well, win the series and take that confidence and gel together as a group. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us as a team to play against [India] in World Cup conditions."

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