Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
England had a disastrous World Cup 2023 and bowed out of the tournament getting beaten comprehensively. They could not live up to their defending champions title as they had won the 2019 World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup. Now that the team has reached Barbados for the T20 World Cup 2024 edition, captain Jos Buttler has displayed mixed emotions in front of the media.
Buttler was questioned whether the team would defend their previous title and the skipper seemed agitated. The three lions are coming off a series victory against Pakistan ahead of the marquee event. The sides’ bowling arsenal is bolstered with the return of Jofra Archer. But the demons of the previous tournament loss seem to haunt the side as they take on Scotland in their opening game.
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“We’re not trying to defend anything. I have said lots of times, I don’t see us as defending champions. I am just focused on this tournament. I am really excited for it. The team is in a good spot and that is all I am looking to. No. I am not going to tell you the team am I? I am pretty settled with what we are trying to do as a team. I don’t need to sit here and tell you,” Buttler darted back at a journalist as per Inews.
We are trying not to play the game before the game has been played: Buttler
The Kensington Oval pitch in Barbados was a low-scoring affair between Namibia and Oman as it was slow and sluggish. The game went down to the wire and was not dominated by any particular team consistently. Jos Buttler addressed that Kensington pitch as England take on Scotland at the same venue and quashed any preconceived notions about the pitch.
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“We are trying not to play the game before the game has been played. It’s important not to have too many preconceived ideas and assume the pitch will play in a certain way,” Buttler concluded.