England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has backed the Ben Stokes-led side despite England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia. Butler admitted that the result was disappointing, especially as many believed the team had a real chance, and said that the campaign did not unfold the way he had planned.
England lost three matches in just 11 days, putting pressure on their planning, team selection and off-field decisions. The guests responded by winning the fourth Test, but Australia won the final match in Sydney to take the series 4–1. Coach Brendon McCullum said that the team needs improvement.
A disappointing and frustrating campaign – Jos Buttler on England’s Ashes defeat
Jos Buttler said England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia was difficult to endure. He admitted that the result was disappointing and disappointing for the players as the series did not live up to their expectations.
“A disappointing and disappointing campaign for the people,” Butler told Sky Sports News.
“I think we all thought this was the time when the team going to Australia would have a real chance to win. They will be disappointed that it didn’t go as they planned.”
It’s very easy to point fingers at some things – Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler said planning and preparation were often criticized as the reason for poor results. He said that modern tours allow little time for preparation and teams must adapt quickly rather than wait for ideal conditions.
Butler warned against making hasty changes after heavy defeats and stressed the importance of protecting the team’s core identity. He said senior figures including Ben Stokes would take time to review what went wrong and identify areas for improvement.
Butler said, “Ultimately, it’s about results. I think it’s very easy to point the finger at certain things when you don’t get the results you want. Your preparation, your planning, a lot of things will tie your hands. You don’t really have much of a choice to prepare, it’s not a blank canvas.”
“But I think the guys at the top, and knowing Ben as well as I do, they’ll take some time to evaluate what happened, what things they wish they did a little bit differently, what things they need to improve on, and what things are really the real key pillars of the team that they’ve done really well over a number of years that they really need to stick to and work on even more,” he said.
They will take some time to review it – Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler said that England should take time to review the tour and should not make hasty changes. He said that the team should retain its core strengths and make small improvements where needed. He said that Ben Stokes will work even harder to improve the team.
“I think he’ll take a while to review it. I know Ben well – I’ve played a lot of cricket with him growing up – and his determination and desire and passion to take that team forward, to improve and make them the number one Test team in the world, where he wants to take them, will be stronger than ever after this tour.”
Buttler will next be seen in action during the white-ball series against Sri Lanka, which begins with the ODI series on January 22, while the T20I phase begins on January 30.
Also read: England announces boycott of day-night Ashes Test in Australia
