Eoin Morgan has backed Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott to stay on as England's white-ball leadership despite their double World Cup losses in the last nine months.
In an exclusive interview with Melinda Farrell for the latest edition of Wisden Cricket Monthly, available to buy now, World Cup-winning former England captain Eoin Morgan threw his weight behind his successor Jos Buttler. England reached the semi-final of the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, but looked less than convincing in the early stage of the tournament, narrowly avoiding being knocked out in the group stage after defeat to Australia and a near-miss against Scotland.
“I do think Jos and Motty should stay on,” Morgan told WCM. “Given they came into the tournament with the least amount of expectation, they made the semi-final and you have to acknowledge that. You shouldn’t take that for granted – it’s not a given you can get there, with the likes of Australia not making it and New Zealand being knocked out in the group stage. There were various challenges other teams couldn’t overcome and England did, so a lot of credit has to go to both of them in that instance.
“The addition of Andrew Flintoff and Kieron Pollard in the backroom staff, I believe that’s aided both of them, and the team. It was a good decision to get them on board. One thing that will be flagged is that they only beat West Indies out of the Full Member nations but, still, they managed to get to a semi-final. So, for me, Mott and Buttler stay in their positions, particularly when I don’t see any obvious replacements. Giving them more time to get better and grow is the decision that should be made.”
England came into the tournament having lost their 50-over title in disastrous fashion in India at the end of 2023. They lost six of their nine matches in the competition and finished in seventh position, only two points away from missing out on qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
During that campaign, Morgan had criticised both Mott and Buttler. While commentating during the tournament, he had asserted that problems in the England dressing room could be fueling their poor decision-making on the field. However, he later suggested that the leadership duo should be given a chance to put right their World Cup defeat in the Caribbean.
Following the loss of their T20 World Cup title, England's limited-overs lineup is likely to undergo some degree of regeneration. It's likely that older players will filter out to make room for players likely to make the end of the next four-year cycle.
“The likes of Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jonny Bairstow, guys coming towards the twilight of their career, a plan will have to be drawn up by the leadership group and the selector Luke Wright as to what’s the best way forward for the team,” said Morgan.“Who are their best talents going forward? Try and identify who can fill those roles.
“Phil Salt and Harry Brook have played a second World Cup now and seem to be growing in stature, which really bodes well, so they’re key members for me. There’s a Champions Trophy next year and another T20 World Cup the following year and you need players better equipped to deal with the challenges in the latter stages of a tournament. That’s very important. The most successful sides in the world have players who have been there and done that. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee you’ll win but it positions you to overcome the same pressures and the same challenges.”
England's next white-ball assignment is against Australia this September. They will play three T20s before playing five ODIs against the 50-over world champions in September.
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