ICC World Cup 2019 | We were destined as a team to win the trophy, claims Jos Buttler
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Jos Buttler has said that the team was always meant to struggle so that it could prevail through the lows and go on to win the cup in spectacular fashion to make victory taste that much sweeter. He revealed how the thoughts of losing haunted him and how much the triumph meant to him personally.
It has been more than a week since the famous night at Lord’s where England lifted their maiden World Cup title and the players made memories that would last a lifetime. However, like any great achievement, it was not easy to come by.
Even though the hosts had come into the World Cup not having lost a bilateral series for nearly two years and as the number one ranked team in the world, consecutive losses in the group stages meant they were on the brink of elimination. However, there onwards, the team went on to beat India, Australia and New Zealand twice to be named champions.
"Before the India game, I was struggling with coming to terms with the prospect of us getting knocked out. We'd been favourites, so highly fancied by everyone, and there was the danger that four years of playing such good cricket was going to come to nothing," Jos Buttler recalled in an interview with the Daily Mail, reported News18.
England had only won a single major ICC tournament in their history before the World Cup. In recent years, they had lost to India in the 2013 Champions Trophy final at home and to the West Indies in the 2016 World T20 final in India. Jos Buttler was a part of both of these losing squads.
"I had played in eight finals before Sunday and lost seven of them. I'd played in lots with Somerset, the Champions Trophy with England and when we lost the T20 in Kolkata and I knew how much it hurt watching the other team lift the trophy. I didn't want to feel that pain and that regret again,” Buttler stated.
Having reached their first World Cup final in 27 years, since they had lost to Pakistan in the 1992 final, it was a popular feeling among the fraternity that if the hosts blew this golden chance to become World Champions, then it was unlikely they would claim the title for themselves anytime soon in the future.
"What was scaring me was if we lost, I didn't know how I'd play cricket again. This was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a World Cup final at Lord's. It felt like destiny and I was thinking: 'If it doesn't happen, I will have no motivation to pick up a cricket bat for a very long time',” added Buttler.
It was Jos Buttler who took the bails off to run out Martin Guptill in the final delivery of the Super Over and etch the team’s name into cricketing folklore.
"Both gloves went, I threw my hat in the air. I was running around and Moeen Ali was aeroplaning past me and Jofra was on the floor miles away. Those feelings justify everything. That moment lasts for 20 seconds, maybe, and it is just the best time of your cricket career. I did feel sorry for the New Zealanders but at the same time I was so happy that wasn't us. It was written in the stars. It was destiny for us as a team,” reminisced Buttler.
