BUTTLER MAY FACE ICC ACTION FOR BAT NOTE
ENGLAND BATSMAN EXPLAINS HIS LITTLE MESSAGE TO GET IN RIGHT MIND SET
Jos Buttler may face censure over the coarse personal message he writes on his bat handle.
Buttler, England’s man of the match in their serieslevelling innings win over Pakistan at Headingley, has penned ‘ **** it’ at the top of each bat he uses in the middle.
He explains that it is his way of dealing with the ups and downs of his sport at the highest level.
But after television cameras focused on his bat following his unbeaten 80 as England moved towards victory in the second NatWest Test, beaming the footage around the world on Sunday, it is understood Buttler may be in trouble with the International Cricket Council.
There is precedent for ICC sanctions against players for contravening the world governing body’s clothing and equipment rules and regulations.
They read as follows: “Players and team officials shall not be permitted to wear, display or otherwise convey messages through arm bands or other items affixed to clothing or equipment unless approved in advance by both the player or team official’s board and the ICC Cricket Operations Department ... the ICC shall have the final say in determining whether any such message is approved.”
Whether further action is taken will depend on umpires deciding to lay a charge, and then on the response of ICC match referee Jeff Crowe.
Buttler, who has spoken previously about his reasons for the ‘message to self ’, explained after this weekend’s victory why he believes it helps him.
“It’s just something that reminds me of what my best mindset is – when I’m playing cricket, and probably in life as well,” he said.
“It puts cricket in perspective. When you ‘nick off ’, does it really matter? It’s just a good reminder.”
Buttler was a surprise inclusion, in new national selector Ed Smith’s first Test squad, to return at number seven after spending almost 18 months out of the team – a period in which his global reputation as a brilliant white-ball cricketer has continued to grow.
He has repaid the faith with back-to-back halfcenturies, and believes he has benefited from a combination of lessons learned through maturity and a renewed commitment to back his instincts as he did when he first started playing Test cricket.