Jos Buttler reveals he wanted to quit white ball cricket to enhance Test performance
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Jos Buttler has revealed that he considered giving up white-ball cricket in order to regain his Test place after being dropped from the England squad in 2016. Recalling his Test cricket selection, the wicket-keeper batsman has stated that It was a surprise and an incredible opportunity for him.
Being selected for this week’s first Test match against Pakistan despite playing only four first-class matches since 2016, Buttler was overjoyed at his selection. Widely acknowledged as a limited-overs specialist after being put aside from the Test squad, he has revealed he had wanted to take a break from white-ball cricket after being excluded from the Ashes squad.
“Having not being selected in the Ashes squad, I had thought maybe the best way of being the best red-ball player I can be was to stop playing white-ball cricket for a couple of years and give red-ball cricket a real stab,” Buttler told BBC Radio 5 live, as reported by Wisden India.
“You wonder whether when playing a lot of white-ball and franchise tournaments, do you have enough time to work on your game seriously and show you are trying to improve and get back in (the Test team). Then you come back to it and think there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to play all forms. What is really my strength I would have been going away from. It probably wouldn’t have been a very smart decision,” added Buttler.Â
Buttler made his debut in 2014 against India in Southampton and was believed to be one of the future stars in the longest version of the game after a stylish 85 in his first game. In the 18 Tests that he has played so far, he has collected six fifties thereafter, scoring 784 runs at an average of 31.36. However, following a less-than-impressive tour of India in 2016, the wicket-keeper batsman was out of English Test squad.
Adil Rashid and Alex Hales were also dropped from the Test at the same time and the duo decided to focus on limited-overs formats instead, signing white-ball only contracts with their counties. It has been proclaimed that Buttler’s recall came due to his impressive stint in IPL, where he scored 548 runs in 13 innings, including five consecutive half-centuries for Rajasthan Royals.
“It’s a fantastic surprise (the recall) and an incredible opportunity. Any time you turn up here at Lord’s it’s special, and all of those emotions are arriving today,” noted the stylish right-hander.
The Lancashire batsman, who has played 109 ODIs and 61 T20Is, had earlier revealed how a conversation with Shane Warne, the Rajasthan mentor, helped him refocus on red-ball cricket. Further adding to his statement, he noted that playing red ball cricket for his country was an unbelievable feeling and he would continue to play in the same attacking fashion.
“You always think maybe that race is run and will never happen again. It’s not that you live with regrets, but you definitely miss it. To get that call, the overriding emotion was excitement. I came for a hit here on Saturday. Turning up here on England duty to play a Test match is unbelievable,” Buttler said.
“I will be trusting my instincts. That is going to be the best way towards helping me to be successful. The guys who have selected me have asked me to play in that fashion, so that is how I have got to do it,” he concluded.
