Jos Buttler steps down as England captain

Jos Buttler’s resignation as England’s white-ball captain has shocked the cricket community. In an interview with the media prior to England’s Champions Trophy match against South Africa on Saturday, March 1, Buttler himself officially announced the news.

I will step down as captain of England. For myself and the team, it’s the right choice. And ideally, someone else can step in and collaborate closely with Brendon McCullum to get the team back to where it needs to be. (On what led him to make this choice) It was obvious. In terms of the outcome, this tournament was crucial for my captaincy. Being eliminated from the competition after two defeats. I am disappointed and humiliated that I probably reached the end of my leadership journey because of a slight hangover from some previous tournaments,” Buttler stated in his statement.

BREAKING: Jos Buttler has stood down as England white-ball captain, following his side’s Champions Trophy exit pic.twitter.com/BQ5yiy4yTa

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 28, 2025

Jos Buttler said that when McCullum took over as the white-ball coach,

He was as thrilled as ever and believed the two of them could get the team back on track, but that was not possible. The wicketkeeper-batter made the deliberate choice to have a shift in the face of English leadership in the white-ball formats, both for himself and the squad.

“I was really excited to work closely with Brendon, hoping for a very speedy turnaround and moving the company forward, but things haven’t quite gone as planned. Brendon just joined the team. He continued, “It just seems like the time is right for me and the team to have a change.”

After winning the 2022 T20 World Cup, England had a very difficult time at the ICC events. Even though the team had a strong squad, they finished the 2023 ODI World Cup as one of the worst performers after being eliminated. In the next year, India eliminated England in the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

A whitewash in the three ODIs and a 1-4 loss in the Twenty20 Internationals, the Three Lions were also overwhelmed by the Men in Blue in the current white-ball series. Then came the Champions Trophy, where England was eliminated from the competition after losing to Australia and then to Afghanistan in a shock defeat. This Saturday’s match against South Africa will be Buttler’s final appearance as captain of England.