New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) England’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign has already delivered drama and déjà vu in equal measure. Now free from leadership responsibilities but still one of the senior-most figures in the squad, Jos Buttler reflected on England’s white-ball transformation over the past decade, a journey that began after their early exit from the 2015 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The defending champions edged past Nepal by four runs in a last-ball thriller to open their tournament, before suffering a 30-run defeat to the West Indies in what was a rematch between the T20 World Cup 2016 finalists.
With crucial fixtures against Scotland on Saturday and Italy on Monday looming, former white-ball captain Buttler’s experience could prove vital as England look to steady their campaign.
“It’s been great to be part of the team for so long and to go through a bit of a transition in English white-ball cricket. It was probably more noticeable in 50-over cricket initially, but there was a group of guys who came together in 2015 to try and play differently, to push the boundaries and, if anything, be un-English. We’ve definitely tried to change the way we play as a nation, to be more aggressive and more positive, more positive than anyone else in the world was at that time. That mindset has certainly dripped through the English system, and the way some of the young players around the country, and on our side, play their cricket now is amazing to watch,” he said, speaking on JioStar.
That aggressive philosophy reshaped England’s limited-overs identity, and its resilience was tested most memorably in India a decade ago.
The 2016 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final, where England were denied by the West Indies in the final over, remains a defining chapter in the team’s evolution. Buttler believes that heartbreak ultimately became a springboard for sustained success.
“I think that World Cup, where we lost the final, was a real eye-opener for us in terms of how far we could go and what was possible for the team. We were a young side at that point and probably exceeded expectations in that tournament. We were four balls away from winning that game, which was incredible for us, as heartbreaking as it was to lose the final. It wasn’t long after that the realisation came that we were a side capable of winning World Cups and going deep in tournaments. From that point forward, winning the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2022, I think a lot of that success was built on the back of losing that final in India in 2016.”
England would go on to claim the 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup, validating the bold reset that began in 2015. Buttler, who succeeded Eoin Morgan as white-ball captain, carried forward that legacy.
“I think my role on this side is that the longer you’re in a team, the more senior you become and the more responsibility you have to lead. I was obviously a lieutenant to Eoin Morgan for a long time and learned so much from him as a Captain. He did so much for English white-ball cricket to take us to that level. Taking over the captaincy from him was a great honour. There have been some good memories and some tough ones, but the highlight was lifting the T20 World Cup in Melbourne.”
–IANS
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