McCullum receives backing from seasoned Jos Buttler as England push for T20 glory
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "McCullum receives backing from seasoned Jos Buttler as England push for T20 glory")
McCullum receives backing from seasoned Buttler as England push for T20 glory Photograph: (AFP)
Praising the former Kiwi gloveman as 'as sharp a coach he’s worked with', Buttler welcomed McCullum’s more hands-on and proactive coaching approach, the glimpses of which were on display during the Nepal tie.
Former England captain and seasoned T20 batter, Jos Buttler, has thrown weight behind under-fire team coach Brendon McCullum, who is desperate for success at the ongoing T20 World Cup. Praising the former Kiwi gloveman as 'as sharp a coach he’s worked with', Buttler welcomed McCullum’s more hands-on and proactive coaching approach, the glimpses of which were on display during the Nepal tie.
England coach McCullum was accused of allowing a drinking culture in the camp, which led to embarrassment for a few players on the torrid Ashes tour Down Under, let alone considering Harry Brook’s Wellington nightclub episode, for which he had to issue a public apology later.
Meanwhile, against Nepal in England’s tournament opener, McCullum was seen using a walkie-talkie to communicate with his players during a drinks break, with Buttler welcoming this approach.
"I think he's had those walkie-talkies for a while now, but then communication from top to bottom has always been really good in the group," Buttler said to reporters at the Wankhede stadium ahead of training. "'Baz' can sit with his feet up and his sunglasses on and look very relaxed.
"But he's as sharp a coach as I've ever worked with. He doesn't miss a beat.
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"He was a successful captain, so he's got lots of great messages, knowledge and stuff to pass on to all the players.
"His relationship with Harry Brook has been a great one for this team. They're really close."
Meanwhile, Brook took over after Buttler stood down as captain last year, following England's group stage exit from the 50-over Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE. That followed an embarrassing title defence at the 50-over World Cup in India in 2023 and a semi-final exit as defending champions at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
Buttler, who led England to T20 World Cup glory in 2022 in Australia, said it had been tricky to adjust to just being a player again after being captain. In his second game after giving up the role, he sought advice from Joe Root, who had stood down as Test captain but played on under Ben Stokes.
"He was stood at slip, and I was keeping wicket. We had five or 10 minutes just talking about it," he said. "How different it is when he's been captain... and some of the various emotions he felt, the challenges that he found, and yes, it was really helpful."
England on Tuesday announced one change from the team that beat Nepal, seamer Luke Wood being replaced by Jamie Overton. Wood conceded 14 runs from the 19th over against Nepal on Sunday, taking 1-31 from three overs.
(With inputs from AFP)
