Jos Buttler form concerns England after unconvincing T20 World Cup start
England captain Jos Buttler is facing scrutiny over his batting form following an unconvincing start to the T20 World Cup campaign marked by a lack of big scores.
The defending champions’ passage through the group phase proved a mixed bag, offering flashes of quality amid generally underwhelming displays.
While Will Jacks and Sam Curran provided reasons for optimism, the faltering output of the team’s talismanic leader remains a significant worry.
We analyse the data behind the skipper’s lean patch and the wider themes emerging from their first four matches.
Buttler’s quiet start raises questions
Low scores of three against both Italy and Scotland resulted in a total return of just 53 runs across the entire group stage.
This represents a concerningly low yield for one of the most destructive batters in white-ball history.
The 35-year-old has endured a quiet winter, failing to register a half-century in 15 international innings across all formats.
However, an unbeaten 97 in the SA20 earlier in January suggests the wicketkeeper-batter still possesses the ability to dominate attacks.
The manner of his dismissals against Italy and Scotland bore striking similarities, with both resulting from miscued drives to mid-off.
“Maybe he is trying too hard to get a score on the board,” said former England team-mate Dawid Malan.
“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.”
Technical issues against pace and spin
All three of Buttler’s dismissals against seamers came from deliveries clocked between 75mph and 82mph.
Since the start of 2024, the opener has struggled against pace bowlers in that specific bracket more than any other type.
Perhaps more alarming is his record against slower bowling as the tournament shifts to the spin-friendly surfaces of Sri Lanka.
The skipper’s average against spin in T20 internationals has plummeted to 24.1 since the start of 2024, down from 61.8 in the preceding two years.
Batting unit lacking conversion
Despite posting a commanding 202-7 against Italy, the collective batting unit has rarely fired on all cylinders.
England wobbled chasing 153 against Scotland and were bowled out for just 166 during a defeat by West Indies.
The primary issue appears to be converting starts into match-winning contributions rather than getting established at the crease.
Englishmen have reached 25 runs on 14 occasions – the most of any side – yet only four of these innings have evolved into half-centuries.
Will Jacks rejected the suggestion that batters were failing to take responsibility.
“Responsibility in T20 can be misunderstood,” said Jacks.
“Sometimes the responsibility is to try and hit 30 off the over.”