Jos Buttler has decided to resign from his role as England’s captain in white-ball cricket formats, concluding his tenure after the team’s participation in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025. The 34-year-old announced his decision in Karachi, just before England’s final league match against South Africa.
Buttler stated during a press conference on Friday, February 28th, that he believes this is the correct decision for both himself and the team. He expressed hope that a new captain could collaborate effectively with coach Brendon McCullum to guide the team back to its desired level of performance.
Buttler acknowledged that his decision was influenced by England’s premature exit from the Champions Trophy, which followed consecutive defeats to Australia and Afghanistan in Lahore. The team’s recent ODI performance had already been concerning, highlighted by a 0-3 series whitewash against India in the week leading up to the tournament in Pakistan and the UAE.
Buttler admitted the significance of the Champions Trophy for his captaincy, stating that the two losses and the continuation of poor form from previous tournaments led him to believe he had reached the end of his leadership journey. He expressed his sadness and disappointment but anticipates regaining his enjoyment of cricket and cherishing the honor of captaining his country.
Buttler succeeded Eoin Morgan as England’s white-ball captain in 2022 and achieved immediate success by winning the T20 World Cup in Australia that year. However, subsequent results in both formats declined. England was eliminated in the group stage of the 2023 ODI World Cup and reached the semi-finals in their T20 World Cup title defense but suffered a convincing defeat to India in Guyana.
Amidst these struggles, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) appointed Brendon McCullum as coach for the white-ball teams starting in 2025, in addition to his Test responsibilities. Despite this change, the partnership with Buttler did not produce immediate improvements, as England lost nine out of ten white-ball matches since the beginning of the year.
In total, Buttler captained England in 44 ODIs and 51 T20Is, securing 18 and 26 victories respectively. He holds the second-lowest win-loss ratio among England captains who have led in a minimum of 15 matches.
Buttler voiced his disappointment that his partnership with Brendon McCullum did not yield the desired turnaround. He reiterated that he felt the timing was right for both himself and the team to undergo a change in leadership.
