England captain Jos Buttler will retain his place in the side for Friday’s crucial T20 World Cup Super 8 clash against New Zealand, despite a prolonged run of low scores, England bowling coach Tim Southee confirmed.
The decision comes as Buttler endures his worst form in international T20 cricket since 2012. After scoring 26 against Nepal in the tournament opener, the wicketkeeper-batter has managed just three, three, seven and two in his subsequent four innings. Southee, however, expressed confidence in Buttler’s imminent return to form, stating he is “hitting it as well as he [ever] has in the nets.”
“He’s such a dangerous player,” Southee said. “Any time you see his name on the team sheet it’s a concern for opposition bowlers.”
England have already secured their place in the semi-finals, but victory over New Zealand would guarantee top spot in Group 2, potentially avoiding a semi-final encounter with tournament favourites South Africa, who have impressed with recent wins over India and the West Indies. New Zealand, meanwhile, need a win to progress to the final four.
The England camp is attempting to bolster Buttler’s confidence, with bowler Mark Wood urging him to “keep believing in yourself as much as we all believe in you” during a recent appearance on Buttler’s podcast, ‘For the Love of Cricket’. Wood acknowledged the pressure Buttler faces but emphasized his class would eventually shine through.
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter also anticipates a resurgence from Buttler, acknowledging that all batters experience periods of low form. “No one will ever doubt his quality,” Walter said.
England are considering potential changes to their lineup, with Rehan Ahmed a possible inclusion. Moeen Ali has welcomed the possibility of Ahmed featuring against New Zealand, while Jofra Archer is showing signs of improvement, according to team sources. However, the team will ultimately be selected based on “conditions” and “what team they believe is best suited to match up against New Zealand on that surface,” Southee stated.
New Zealand’s bowling attack has taken fewer wickets than England’s throughout the tournament – 27 compared to England’s 51 – leading to higher batting averages against them. Batters have averaged 28.62 against the Black Caps, compared to 18.11 against England.
Walter defended his team’s approach, stating that restricting runs is as valuable as taking wickets in T20 cricket. “For us it’s responding to the conditions, understanding what we need to do as a bowling unit and then collectively doing it,” he said.
