JOS PERFECT
Winner Morgan: Buttler is ideal man to defend crown... then march on to T20 glory next year!
EOIN MORGAN has backed Jos Buttler to lead England for years to come — and says “experience counts double when it comes to World Cups”.
Buttler inherited the captaincy from Morgan a year ago and made an instant impact by winning the T20 World Cup in Australia last November.
The wicketkeeper-batter now wants to inspire his team to victory in the ODI World Cup and defend the title they won under Morgan in 2019. England are among the favourites, but it’s unclear how much longer this group can remain together.
Buttler turned 33 last month and 10 other players in the 15-man World Cup squad are in their 30s – including Test skipper Ben Stokes.
But Morgan sees no reason why Buttler would step down anytime soon.
“Without doubt, Jos is the man to lead for as long as he wants,” said Morgan, now an analyst for Sky Sports.
“He’s one of the best players in the world, he’s hugely wellrespected in the changing room... and has proven that he’s an excellent captain. I think that’s just a given.”
Morgan also thinks England’s white-ball squad won’t change much between now and next June when the T20 World Cup takes place in the West Indies and United
States. “You might see some players retiring, but even then you’ll see the same group of players trying to win World Cups.
“Even though players are in their 30s, they’re fitter, healthier and better medically treated than ever. You would say people should be able to play for longer.”
England fans got a glimpse into the future when a secondstring side faced Ireland in a threematch ODI series last month. Rain impacted that series, but several players still took their chance to shine – not least Phil Salt.
The 27-year-old opener, who played in last year’s T20 World Cup Final, hit a blistering 61 off just 28 balls in the third ODI to leave Morgan impressed. “He’s the player who hasn’t been mentioned much – and I’m not sure as to why. For me, Salt is an unbelievable player who can put every bowler under pressure at any given moment. “When the make up of an England team is always to bat deep and go as
hard as you can, having the attributes that he has are only a positive thing.”
But Morgan believes that Buttler will call on Jason Roy rather than Salt if one of his openers suffers an injury at the World Cup.
Roy, who missed the recent series with New Zealand with back spasms, was axed from England’s squad at the 11th hour to make way for Harry Brook. Now the 33-year-old is fit for duty in India.
“Salt obviously plays in the same manner as Roy. But Jason has played around 120 games, averaging 40 and striking at about 100. “You can’t ask more of any player, and particularly when he’s coming into his twilight years – plus experience counts for double when you’re talking about World Cups.” »