England’s Super 8s campaign is about to begin against Sri Lanka in Pallekele – and the sub-plot, inevitably, is Jos Buttler’s rhythm versus the scorecard.
After an edgy group stage and a quick hop to Sri Lanka, Buttler used his first full training day since Monday’s win over Italy to underline what he believes is the non-negotiable in T20 batting: you don’t get to play for your own comfort.
Speaking on the For the Love of Cricket podcast, Jos Buttler laid out the temptation every top-order batter feels when their form is under the microscope. “I would love to just bat for 15 overs,” he said, before adding the line that really frames his mindset: “I don’t want to bat for 15 overs just for myself and ignore the game.”
That distinction matters because it is the classic T20 tug-of-war – time at the crease helps, but the game state can’t wait for you. “You’ve got to still play the game,” Buttler said, contrasting it with red-ball logic. “There are times I’ve been out of form in Test cricket and the batting coach might say ‘rein it in and bat for an hour’… In T20, you have got to keep playing the scoreboard.”
Buttler also sounded less worried about feel and more focused on conversion. “I felt I was playing really well in the SA20 without getting scores,” he said. “One thing I always pride myself on in T20 is if you get in, go and make a good contribution.”
England’s Thursday session carried its own little tell: a long net hit, then throw-downs from fielding coach Carl Hopkinson using a wet tennis ball on a soaked concrete strip – a drill that looks like a deliberate attempt to sharpen reaction time and control when conditions are slippery and skiddy.
Buttler’s teammate Jacob Bethell was blunt about any chatter around Buttler’s form. “He’s fine,” Bethell said. “The options he has taken haven’t come off, but no one in that side is worried about Jos…He will come good when we need him in the big stages of this tournament.”
Bethell, though, is managing a separate concern – a cut finger on his left hand suffered during the defeat against West Indies, that has stopped him from bowling, and will be assessed again ahead of Sunday’s Super 8s opener against Sri Lanka. England will take confidence from the recent past: a 3-0 T20 series sweep just before the World Cup, all at the same venue.
