Jos Buttler has formally announced that he will resign as England's white-ball captain after their last match in the current Champions Trophy 2025 against South Africa on Saturday. Having already been eliminated from the tournament by losses to Australia and Afghanistan, Buttler's resignation seals the end of his tenure as captain.
Having taken over from Eoin Morgan in June 2022, Buttler led England to victory in the T20 World Cup later that year. The 34-year-old confirmed his resignation during a pre-match press conference on Friday.
"I am going to stand down as England captain, it is the right thing for me and the side. Hopefully, someone else can come in and help work alongside Baz to get the team to where it needs to go," said Buttler.
He recognized that this tournament was a decisive examination of his captaincy, and with England not getting past the group stages, he considered it the right time to move on.
"It's pretty obvious that this tournament was going to be crucial in terms of my captaincy and two losses from the tournament, and some of the hangover from some of the tournaments leading up to that. I got to the end of the rope for my captaincy, and it's a pity; I am disappointed about it. With Brendon (McCullum) arriving, I was looking forward to working with him and driving the team on, but it hasn't happened like that, so it does seem like it's the right time for it to change," he said.
England's failure in ICC competitions in the last two years has highlighted the requirement for leadership change. They were unable to retain their championship title in the 2023 ODI World Cup, falling seventh in the league stage, and lost in the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup to India.
The beginning of the Brendon McCullum era in the 2025 Champions Trophy was supposed to mark a fresh start for the team, but England's premature elimination only supported Buttler's decision to step down.
Looking back, Buttler acknowledged that quitting was not easy, but he is eager to rekindle his passion for the game without the extra burden of captaincy.
"There's a bit of disappointment and sadness, but I'm certain that that will go in time, and I can return to simply enjoying my cricket. I'll also look back on what a huge privilege it is to lead your country," he finished.
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