Jos Buttler has announced he will step down as England Men’s white ball captain on Saturday, after the team’s final game of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy against South Africa.
Buttler presided over our 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup winning campaign in Australia and will continue to make himself available for selection.
BREAKING: Jos Buttler resigns as England's white-ball captain after their group-stage exit in the Champions Trophy 🚨🏴 pic.twitter.com/ERRvuAD9Nq
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 28, 2025
Buttler said: “This is the right decision for me and it’s the right decision for the team. Hopefully someone else can come in and work closely alongside Baz (McCullum) to take the team back to where it needs to be.
“It was quite clear that this tournament was going to be important, results-wise for my captaincy. Two losses and being out of the tournament with a bit of a hangover from tournaments before, I think I just probably reached the end of the road for my captaincy, which is a shame. I am sad about that.
“With Brendon coming in only recently, I was really excited to work alongside him and to hope for a very quick turnaround and to take the team forward. It has not quite turned out that way. It just feels like it’s the right time for me and the team to have a change.
“My over-riding emotions are sadness and disappointment. I’m sure in time that will pass and I can get back to enjoying my cricket. I’ll be able to reflect on what an immense honour that it is to captain your country and the things that come with that.”
Buttler was appointed captain of England Men’s white-ball teams in June 2022, succeeding Eoin Morgan under whom he had acted as vice-captain.
By the end of tomorrow’s match, he will have been captain of his country on 96 occasions, leading England in 45 ODIs and 51 IT20s. He is the third England Men’s captain to have won an ICC tournament.
Brendon McCullum, England Men’s Head Coach, said: "I feel incredibly sad for Jos. We've all seen over the last couple of years how much he has invested in captaining his country and trying to get the very best out of those guys around him.
"People forget he won the World Cup a couple of years ago and that can never be taken away from him. He's done a significant job, often without his best players available, so it is incredibly unselfish from Jos to step aside and to leave the post to someone else.
"He is still a huge player for us moving forward and I'm sure we'll look at ways to get the best out of him so he has maximum impact as well."
Brendon McCullum reacts to the news that Jos Buttler will stand down as England white-ball captain 💬 pic.twitter.com/Js1A5GsbjW
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 28, 2025
Rob Key, Managing Director, England Men, said: "Working with Jos has been a pleasure. He’s been dealt some tough challenges, but never once flinched trying to drive this team forward for the better.
"Nobody deserved that World Cup win in Australia more. I can’t wait to see him back in the ranks and at his best."
Richard Gould, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: “I’d like to thank Jos for all he has given in his two and a half years captaining England Men in white ball cricket. Under his leadership, England became Men's T20 World Champions, and throughout his time as Captain he has been a role model in the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch.
“Jos is one of cricket’s all-time great white ball players. I've been lucky enough to follow his career from when he first came through as a youngster in Somerset, and I hope we still have many years to enjoy of him pulling on an England shirt.”