Just IN: Jos Buttler steps down as England captain after group-stage exit at ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Jos Buttler will captain England for the last time on Saturday against South Africa.

On Friday, February 28, Jos Buttler announced his decision to step down as England’s captain during the pre-match press conference before England’s final ICC Champions Trophy 2025 group-stage clash against South Africa.

The decision comes after England’s elimination from the tournament following back-to-back defeats in their first two games against Australia and Afghanistan.

The Three Lions have struggled in white-ball cricket recently. They suffered a 1-4 defeat against India in the T20 series before being whitewashed 0-3 in the ODI series.

Under Buttler’s leadership, England had a disastrous campaign in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, finishing seventh in the league stage. Their performance improved in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, where they reached the semi-finals, but a defeat against India knocked them out of the tournament.

Jos Buttler steps down as England captain after group-stage exit at ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Jos Buttler confirmed his decision in the pre-match press conference before England’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match against South Africa. He emphasized that it is the right decision for both him and the team.

Buttler said, “Just to let you all know, I am going to step down as England captain. It’s the right decision for me, and it’s the right decision for the team. I hope someone else can step up and work closely with Bazz (McCullum) to take the team where it needs to be.“

He acknowledged that poor results played a major role in his decision. Buttler stated that he was excited to work with Brendon McCullum, but it did not work out.

He added, “This tournament was going to be important in terms of results, and obviously, two losses and being out of the tournament, along with a bit of a hangover from previous tournaments, brought my captaincy to the end of the road, which is a shame,“

“I am sad about that. With Brendon coming in recently, I was excited to work alongside him and hoped for a quick turnaround to take the team forward, but it has not worked. So, it’s the right time for me and the team to make a change.“

Jos Buttler will lead England in ODIs for the last time on Saturday against South Africa in Karachi.

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