Jos Buttler resigns as England’s white-ball captain

England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler has stepped down as captain ahead of their Champions Trophy match against South Africa on March 1 at the National Bank Cricket Stadium.  

Buttler announced his decision on Friday, citing England’s poor performance in the tournament as the main reason.  

“In the Champions Trophy, the team couldn't perform well under my leadership. England's results under my captaincy have been disappointing”, Buttler said.  

“The match against South Africa will be my last as captain. I want to focus on my cricket," he added.  

Buttler led England in 44 ODIs, winning 18 and losing 25. Despite guiding England to their second T20 World Cup title in 2022 with a victory over Pakistan, he has faced three major tournament failures as captain.  

England was the first team to be eliminated from Group B in the ongoing Champions Trophy after consecutive defeats against Australia and Afghanistan.  

In their opening match, England posted a record-breaking total of 351/8, the highest in Champions Trophy history. Ben Duckett played a brilliant knock of 165 off 143 balls. However, Australia chased the target in 47.3 overs with strong performances from Josh Inglis (120 off 86 balls), Alex Carey (69 off 63), and Glenn Maxwell (32 off 15).  

In their second match, England suffered a surprising eight-run loss to Afghanistan at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi chose to bat first, and his team put up 325/7 in 50 overs. Ibrahim Zadran was the star of the innings, scoring 177 off 146 balls with 12 fours and six sixes.  

Chasing the target, England was bowled out for 317 despite a fighting 120 from Joe Root. Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a match-winning performance with the ball, taking five wickets.  

With these back-to-back losses, England is out of the tournament, and Buttler has decided to step down from leadership. His final match as captain will be against South Africa.