Jos Buttler accepts his fate as England captain could be sealed by the outcome of their Champions Trophy clash against Afghanistan but has insisted the issue is not weighing on his mind.
The washout between Australia and South Africa means, barring more rain, England must win their final two Group B contests to reach the semi-finals, starting with Afghanistan on Wednesday.
England’s defeat to Australia in Lahore at the weekend was their fifth in a row in ODIs while Buttler’s side have lost 17 in 24 during a period in which they have surrendered both white-ball World Cups.
With head coach Brendon McCullum still getting his feet under the desk, it is likely Buttler who would be in the firing line if England are sent tumbling out of another major tournament in the group stages.
When asked if the stakes are personally high for him on the eve of the Gaddafi Stadium fixture, Buttler, who has won 12 of 33 ODIs as permanent England skipper, replied: “Yeah, absolutely.
“I think any time as an England captain, you want to perform, you want to perform well and you want to lead your team to winning games of cricket. We haven’t been doing that enough in the recent past.
“But as soon as you catch yourself thinking about any negative things, you just try and completely forget that and focus on all of the positive things that could go right and where you can take the team.
“I’m very much focused on that.”
England will make just one change from their five-wicket loss to Australia, with Jamie Overton replacing fellow fast bowler Brydon Carse, who has returned home due to a toe injury.
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, ratified as Carse’s replacement, is expected to be watching on as he arrives into Pakistan on Wednesday morning, with a view to being available to face South Africa on Saturday.
Buttler knows England cannot afford to overlook Afghanistan, who claimed a shock 69-run win in the teams’ last 50-over meeting at the 2023 World Cup, with spinners Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman sharing six wickets.
While Mujeeb is not in Afghanistan’s contingent this time, left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad represents another dangerous threat against an England side who have struggled against the turning ball in Asia.
Buttler said: “I give them lots of respect, they have a unique style in some senses, some great spin options, Rashid and Noor are obviously two standout guys that we need to prepare really well for.
“But as much as we look at the opposition, it’s focusing on ourselves, bringing the best version of our cricket and being confident that that would be enough to win the game.”
https://thewest.com.au/sport/cricket/buttler-focused-on-winning-with-captaincy-under-threat-c-17850091
