England’s Quest for Redemption: Buttler’s Warning on Archer’s Return
England’s cricket captain, Jos Buttler, has confessed that the team’s pride took a hit during their disappointing performance at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India last year. As the current ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions, they are eager to redeem themselves in the upcoming 20-over showcase next month.
The English side failed to advance beyond the group stages of the 50-over World Cup last year, winning only three out of their nine matches. This was a stark contrast to their triumphant victory over New Zealand on home ground four years prior.
England now has the opportunity to make up for their lackluster 50-over World Cup campaign as they gear up for the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies next month. This presents a familiar scenario for Buttler and his team, as they aim to secure back-to-back ICC trophies following their victory over Pakistan at the MCG in 2022.
Buttler remains optimistic that the English players have gleaned valuable lessons from their disappointing campaign in India last year. He is confident that the team will bounce back to their best form when the T20 World Cup kicks off on June 1.
“Our pride was certainly bruised and it was a really disappointing competition,” Buttler admitted. “However, life moves on. It’s a chapter in the book and there are lessons to be learned. We now have a new opportunity in a different format. We are heading to the West Indies and we aim to give a better account of ourselves.”
England will be preparing for the T20 World Cup with a four-match T20I series at home against Pakistan. The first match is scheduled to take place in Leeds on Wednesday, where star quick Jofra Archer is expected to make his return from injury.
Archer, the hero of England’s successful World Cup campaign in 2019, has been battling back and elbow injuries recently. The 29-year-old hasn’t made an appearance for England in any format since he played in a T20I against Bangladesh in Mirpur in March last year.
Buttler issued a warning to rival teams, stating that Archer was bowling quickly in the nets and was ready to make an impact against Pakistan and in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“He’s bowling quick,” Buttler said. “It was good fun facing him in the nets yesterday – a really good challenge. It’s great to see him back.”
England T20 World Cup squad:
Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood