Jos Buttler is unsure of his future in Test cricket
What's the story
England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler has admitted being unsure of his future in Test cricket. The wicketkeeper-batter has been out of the Test side since the Ashes 2021-22. Buttler, however, isn't much fussed about the same. The dasher stated that he is currently enjoying leading the team in ODIs and T20Is. He also aims to take England to the World Cup title next year.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Buttler, arguably England's finest-ever batter in white-ball cricket, has fared decently in Tests. However, the 32-year-old isn't sure whether he would don the white jersey again or not. Notably, several players have complained about workload in the last couple of years. The same might keep Buttler away from red-ball cricket. Notably, the ODI World Cup is less than a year away.
Statement
What did Buttler say?
"I do not know for the minute, to be honest," Buttler told Sky Sports on being asked about his future in Test cricket. "I am really enjoying what I am doing, and getting the opportunity to captain the white-ball teams has been a great challenge," he added. As England have just 10 ODIs before the WC, Buttler has some brainstorming to do.
Challenges
Buttler highlights the challenges lying ahead
"The attention turns to the 50-over World Cup and trying to think ahead and planning how we tackle that tournament. We have had a couple of retirements from the side, some stalwarts in Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan," said Buttler. "We have got to work out how we fill that hole and give guys the opportunity to take those positions up," he added.
Career
How has Buttler fared in Tests?
Buttler, who made his Test debut in 2014, has so far smashed 2,907 runs in 57 Tests at 31.95. The tally includes 18 fifties and a couple of tons as well. Ben Foakes has emerged as England's first-choice keeper in Tests. Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow are other Test regulars who can keep wickets. The same might keep Buttler out of the Test arena.
T20 WC
Buttler guided England to the T20 WC title
Buttler guided the Brits to the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 title last month. He led the team from the front and took England to glory. The Three Lions would head into the next year's ODI WC as defending champions. Hence, the selectors might not want to increase Buttler's workload, though he can be a valuable addition to England's newly-evolved aggressive Test batting line-up.