Steve Harmison believes Jos Buttler’s time as England white-ball captain is up but the former fast bowler is unconvinced by Harry Brook as the successor.
Buttler admitted he will consider his position after England’s group stage exit at the Champions Trophy, capping a miserable 18-month period in which they have given up both limited-overs World Cups.
Harmison feels Buttler lacks the qualities of predecessor Eoin Morgan or Test skipper Ben Stokes but has reservations about installing Brook, the red-hot favourite to take charge of the one-day international and T20 sides.
Harry Brook has been touted as England’s next white-ball captain (Owen Humphreys/PA)
England’s schedule is so tightly packed that Brook might not be an ever-present if he does get the nod, with the Yorkshireman also struggling for form in Asia, where he has been Buttler’s right-hand man.
Asked if it is time for Buttler to either stand down or be sacked, Harmison told the PA news agency: “Unfortunately, yes. It is a hard one because he is probably our greatest ever white-ball player.
“I think he is a captain, I don’t see him as an inspirational leader like Ben or as ruthless as Eoin. He’s not the same as those two but I still think there’s a captain in there, I really do.
“It just seems as though England haven’t been good enough, the players haven’t been good enough. He’s part of the problem in this side but I don’t think he’s the only part of the problem.
“Harry is the obvious choice to replace Jos but do you really want to go down that road? Harry is a multi-format player who is having his struggles. Does he need the captaincy? I’m really not so sure.”
Ashes 2005-winner Harmison, who played 123 times for England in all formats and is now a popular pundit for talkSPORT, insists inking in a permanent successor to Buttler might create more headaches.
He said: “Do we really need a 50-over captain as such in name and title when there is pressure on them to play every single game? It was fine when it was Jos because Jos doesn’t play red-ball cricket.”
Buttler’s form in ODIs has suffered during a run in which England have lost 17 of 24 matches since the start of a dismal 2023 World Cup, having made just two fifties and averaged 22 in that time.
But Harmison suggested Buttler going back into the rank and file might have the same transformative impact as it did for Joe Root, who is averaging over 57 since standing down as Test captain in 2022.
“I think it will be good for Jos to move on and good for England to move on,” Harmison said. “I just want the best player that’s ever played for England to be back playing the way he was.
Mark Wood, right, will almost certainly miss England’s last Champions Trophy match because of a left knee injury (K.M. Chaudary/AP)
“I hope in 12 months’ time we’re talking about Jos Buttler like we’ve been talking about Joe Root in the red-ball team when Joe went back into the ranks playing for Ben and was smashing it everywhere.
“I feel for Jos because he’s a brilliant person, a wonderful player but the captaincy hasn’t gone right for him. England just haven’t been good enough and Jos is going to pay the price for it.”
Defeats to Afghanistan and Australia have been compounded by Mark Wood’s left knee injury, meaning he will almost certainly miss the Group B dead-rubber against South Africa in Karachi on Saturday.
The fast bowler had surgery on his left knee after England’s triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign and missed the Ashes series that followed as a result.
Harmison has his fingers crossed the latest setback is not too serious as he thinks England will need Wood, plus Jofra Archer, for a marquee home Test series against India and next winter’s Ashes.
“From an England point of view, if Ben Stokes has got Mark Wood and Jofra Archer for a huge proportion of those two series then England have got a chance,” Harmison added.