After any World Cup capitulation, the inevitable question of whether the captain should take the fall rears its head.
Jos Buttler is the latest to appear in this debate after England suffered three defeats out of four in the competition. The magnitude of their defeat against South Africa only increases the appetite for this conversation before England are technically eliminated. But as their chances of survival rapidly decline, attention instead turns to how to avoid similar feelings of disappointment, frustration, and misery four years from now.
Whatever Buttler’s future holds is up for debate for now, at least until the full extent of England’s disaster in India is confirmed. It will also depend on how he envisions the second half of his career, or whether his experience in India changes his vision for his career. Of course, it’s not impossible that England improve and threaten to make it to the last four, with Buttler determined to lead the team again in 2027. Whatever decisions the central players make over the coming months, it’s not inconceivable that they will be looking for a new captain over 50 at some point in the not-too-distant future. At this point, it is difficult to determine who the candidates are.
Who they choose will depend on what path they generally choose. Considering the age of the core player group and the demands of most players across all three formats, it is suggested that the full version will be released at the start of the new cycle. He has four years to build a team capable of winning the biggest prize money ODI cricket has to offer, so he had better take advantage of all the time he has in the 2015-19 cycle style.
Of the current squad, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran and Reece Topley are likely to survive selection due to age and fitness reasons. That said, despite the amount of bubble wrap Topley needs to get through his four years, bringing his cricket to the national team could be a huge burden on suppliers. There are also several players in their mid-30s who could join this team. In 2027 Joe Root and Ben Stokes will be 36, Buttler and Mark Wood will be 37, Chris Woakes and Jonny Bairstow will be 38 and Adil Rashid will be 39. It is very unlikely that the majority will succeed, but it is also unlikely that everyone will not succeed. How England’s transition goes will be key to their fate.
Of these four young names, there are two that England see as having potential leadership qualities: Curran and Brook. Highlighting Curran as England’s next white-ball captain might not have been a left-wing suggestion after last year’s T20 World Cup. However, that seems unlikely now as his stock has declined rapidly in the opening three matches of the ODI World Cup.
A first World Cup fifty for Harry Brook.
A very important inning for the team. #CWC23 pic. twitter.com/STXbMgG10p
But at 24 years old and only having played international cricket for a year, much is being asked of him. So far, Brooke has rarely made mistakes, but when he inevitably does, he’s lest too many responsibilities pile up and the consequences quickly drown out his limitless potential. It is your responsibility to do so.
If England’s regeneration beyond the current team is to take place any time soon, a new generation of players will be needed to replace those who have left. When no one was available for the 15th World Cup, Zak Crawley was tasked with captaining the next group of players. This seems to be a reasonable indication of where succession planning considerations stand. Crawley has all the characteristics of a natural top-order ODI batsman and is perhaps more naturally suited to this format than Test. There’s always the caveat that he has limited leadership experience, but his four-year low-stakes bilateral series seems to be a good training ground to hone his leadership skills.
To be honest, given the level of turnover in England’s squad, finding a stable, experienced and proven new captain to replace him seems like an impossible task. Traditional logic therefore says that he is the person to turn to whenever there is a crisis, whether on or off the field.
Mr Stokes is the youngest of England’s senior ODI politicians. He will be 36 years old in 2027, the same age as Moeen Ali and Rohit Sharma. After England’s defeat to Afghanistan, it was Stokes who took the initiative and tried to lift his team from rock bottom. After missing the first three games, his absence from the starting lineup may have made his presence in the team more felt. Viewers were left in no doubt as to who the most important player was, as cameras frequently panned to him on the sideline while the team struggled on the field.
Stokes officially withdrew from the format less than two months later. He has already detailed the pressure of playing in all three formats and it seems unlikely that he would want to captain in all three formats. But it is clear that his rebirth as Test captain has had an impact on both the team and himself. His body continues to decline, but with two-way ODI series becoming increasingly rare and a recent T20I medal in the cupboard, there may be motivation to plant his flag in the ground for another four years .
Anyone who gives the armband to Butler will become an incomplete successor whenever Butler relinquishes it. Butler himself still stands in the huge shadow of Eoin Morgan. The next players will have to find their own version of England’s next white-ball era and pull off a 10-year reset.
To bet on the World Cup with our Match Centre Partners bet365 head here.
