Jos Buttler has announced he will step down as England’s white ball captain following the team’s early exit from the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
The decision comes after England were eliminated at the group stage following defeats to Australia and Afghanistan.
Buttler revealed his choice at a pre-match press conference ahead of England’s final match of the tournament.
England’s disappointing Champions Trophy campaign is the latest in a series of poor performances across both white ball formats under Buttler’s leadership.
Jos Buttler has announced he will step down as England’s white ball captain following the team’s early exit from the Champions Trophy in Pakistan
SKY
Despite the setback, Buttler will captain England one final time against South Africa on Saturday.
Buttler, one of England’s greatest white-ball batters, made the announcement with a sense of resignation.
“First just to let you all know I’m going to stand down as England captain,” he told reporters.
BREAKING: Jos Buttler has stood down as England white-ball captain, following his side’s Champions Trophy exit 🚨 pic.twitter.com/BQ5yiy4yTa
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 28, 2025
He acknowledged the tournament’s importance to his leadership future.
“It’s quite clear that this tournament was going to be important results wise for my captaincy and obviously two losses and being out of the tournament were a bit of a hangover of some tournaments before.”
The captain, who led England to a T20I World Cup title during his tenure, appeared downbeat when explaining his decision.
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His departure marks the end of a challenging period for England’s white-ball teams.
When pressed further on his decision, Buttler explained: “I’ve probably reached the end of the road for me and my captaincy which is a shame and I’m sad about that.”
He had hoped for better results working with new coach Brendon McCullum.
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“I was really excited about that and to work closely with him and hope for a very quick turnaround and take the team forward,” he noted.
“The overriding emotions are still sort of sadness and disappointment but in time that will pass I’m sure.
“I can get back to really enjoying my cricket and I will be able to reflect on what an immense honour it is to captain your country.”
Head coach McCullum confirmed that Buttler will lead England one final time in their dead rubber match against South Africa.
Jos Buttler recently oversaw England’s awful Champions Trophy campaign
PA
The Saturday fixture will be Buttler’s last as captain after a tenure that included T20 World Cup success.
His decision to step down comes as England look to rebuild their white-ball setup following recent disappointments.
Buttler suggested a fresh approach was needed, stating: “It feels like it’s the right time for me and for the team to have a change.”