Jos Buttler: "The style is the really important thing. I want us to continue to play and trust that and, if we lose games, I'd rather fall on the positive side than the cautious side,"; watch the T20I series between England and India from Thursday July 7, live on Sky Sports Cricket.
Friday 1 July 2022 14:13, UK
England’s incoming white-ball captain Jos Buttler says he is ‘not afraid to lose games’ as he sets out to continue the adventurous style of play championed by predecessor Eoin Morgan.
Buttler will launch his reign as limited-overs skipper next week when England begin a three-match T20I series against India, live on Sky Sports Cricket.
Morgan transformed England's white-ball fortunes during a seven-year stint in charge that included a first-ever 50-over World Cup triumph in 2019 - and Buttler is determined to build on that legacy.
"Where the group's at, it's in a really healthy place and there's a lot of strength in depth in white-ball cricket around the country," the new captain told Sky Sports.
"It's a nice place to come in and try not to change too much, but you've got to continue that upward curve, that's the challenge.
"Eoin was always big on setting no boundaries, try to keep pushing the limits and see how else we can improve. There's certainly areas where we still can and we must have a lot of energy directed towards that.
"I'm not afraid to lose games. I think it's important we expose players and give them the opportunity to put their best foot forward.
"The style is the really important thing I want us to continue to play and trust that and along the way, if we lose games, I'd rather fall on the positive side than the cautious side."
The 31-year-old, who has previously led the white-ball team in Morgan's absence, admits he had not anticipated the permanent captaincy becoming available until at least after the T20 World Cup, which takes place in Australia later this year.
However, Morgan opted to announce his retirement from international cricket following the recent ODI series in the Netherlands and Buttler - who plans to continue his dual role as opener and wicketkeeper in the shortest format - will have no hesitation in drawing on his predecessor's experience.
"I can't be Morgs, I've got to be myself but I don't have any ego in going to him and asking questions," said Buttler. "I hope there's a role for him in English cricket because you can't waste great minds like that.
"There's a bit of sadness that he's decided to call time but I'm excited at the challenge of taking it on as captain. Initially I thought he'd get to the T20 World Cup, I thought that's what he was working towards but he felt the time came in Amsterdam.
"People ran through brick walls for him and the legacy he'll leave behind is quite incredible. Whether we won or lost he was very firm on the way he wanted us to play and he led from the front.
"He asked people to play in a certain way and he would walk out, third ball running down the wicket and try and hit it over long-on for six.
"As a player you watch your captain do that and say 'let's tuck in behind him and follow that lead' and he was unwavering, he was always of the belief we'd win more games than we'd lose in that fashion."
