JOS EYES POLISH FOR SILVER
WILSON
JOS BUTTLER reckons the England team owe head coach Chris Silverwood a result in Sydney after an Ashes tour that has put his job on the line. Even a win in the fourth Test, while Silverwood looks after his family who have been struck down by Covid, may not be enough to save the genial Yorkshireman.
But he remains a much liked head coach who has been let down by his team’s performance, much the same as skipper Joe Root, who has scored so many runs but lost so many games.
With plenty of pride to play for, not to mention the avoidance of yet another 5-0 Ashes whitewash, there is a lot on the line this week and Buttler knows it.
“We absolutely owe him a result,” he said. “One thing is we are massively in it all together. We live it all together and we want to play well for each other.
“You mention the team and coaching staff, we’re very much a group and determined to play well.
“It’s obviously frustrating for Chris that he’s not here with us – isolating from Covid, another complication of the tour – but we’re very united.
“We certainly don’t want to be a team that loses 5-0.
“Every game you start, you start afresh.we must maintain belief and come around from the disappointment of where we’re at in the series.
“With two Test matches left there’s a hell of a lot to play for.
“People talk about playing for pride and the badge, that’s a massive motivation for everyone.”
Buttler had hoped to make his first Ashes tour a memorable one for all the right reasons.
Instead it has gone the other way and there is clearly a sense of frustration for the impact it has had on Root as captain.
There has been plenty of support for him to stay on past this series and Buttler agreed when he added: “For someone who’s had such an exceptional year with the bat, you’d expect to win a lot more games of cricket.
“That shows we haven’t supported him as needed. He always tries to help others and he’s a fantastic leader in that way.
“We all hope he’ll want to continue. It’s a very individual decision for him but he’s certainly got the players’ support.”
The England keeper has already made his own positive decision about continuing across all three formats despite his struggles with bat and gloves Down Under.
“It’s certainly my ambition,” he said. “I don’t think I’d have put as much into it as I have done if I wasn’t going to try to play all three.
“The one thing you must do is maintain belief, in yourself and as an individual. I still have an immense amount of belief in my own ability.
“I know members of the team will be questioned on the outside, but it’s not believing in yourself when you really start to get on a downward spiral.”