Categories: Cricket

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Jos Buttler’s Emotional Farewell As England Captain

Jos Buttler

England, led by Jos Buttler, faced South Africa, captained by Aiden Markram, in the 11th match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday, March 1.

England’s Disappointing Loss in Buttler’s Final Match as Captain

In Jos Buttler’s last match as captain at the international level, England lost by 7 wickets and were eliminated from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 without a win.

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Jos Buttler’s England won the toss and chose to bat first, but the decision backfired as they were bowled out for just 179 runs in 38.2 overs.

Only four players managed to score more than 20 runs, with Joe Root being the top scorer at 37 runs. Jofra Archer (25), Ben Duckett (24), and Jos Buttler (21) were the other main contributors.

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In response, Jofra Archer took two early wickets, dismissing Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton within the first 9 overs. However, Heinrich Klaasen and Rassie van der Dussen formed a 127-run partnership, leading South Africa to an easy 7-wicket win.

Jos Buttler’s Emotional Post-Match Reflection and Career Aspirations

After the match, England captain Jos Buttler expressed his disappointment over the team’s performance against South Africa. Michael Atherton had told him that he made the right decision to relinquish the captaincy, but Buttler still seemed frustrated with the way things unfolded on the field. He said:

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“It was really a disappointing performance, we were short of our mark today, so really disappointing. A decent surface, a little bit slow and two-paced, Duckett got us into a nice position but we couldn’t take advantage of that.”

Jos Buttler further mentioned that he wasn’t sure what went wrong with the team, but he remained confident that England would bounce back. He added that Brendon McCullum and other top officials were already working on plans to help the team recover and come back stronger.

“I don’t know, to be honest, as a whole group, we are not getting the results, and that takes away the confidence from us. So, it’s a change of scene and we have to see where cricket takes us,” Jos Buttler said.

“Of course, there is no doubt, the talent is there, and we have all the elements to put together a great side, I’m sure Brendon and the guys at the top will formulate some plans and it’s up to the individuals as well to put their mark and assure that the team gets to where it wants to be.”

Jos Buttler appeared quite emotional after the match but managed to smile during the post-match conversation. He ended by reflecting on his time as a World Cup-winning captain and expressed his desire to follow in Joe Root’s footsteps, continuing to contribute to Team England in the future.

“It was a fantastic time to be a world-cup winning captain and that was my best day in my captaincy tenure. Joe has been a shining light and a great example for us. After relinquishing his captaincy, he has played brilliantly, and hopefully, I can follow in his footsteps,” Buttler added.

England faced a heavy defeat against South Africa in their previous ODI during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Choosing to bowl first, England struggled as South Africa posted a massive total of 399/7. Despite Reece Topley dismissing Quinton de Kock early, Topley conceded 88 runs in 8.5 overs. Adil Rashid was the most economical, taking 2 wickets for 61 runs in 10 overs, but Heinrich Klaasen (109 off 67) and Marco Jansen (75* off 42) dominated the attack.

Chasing 400, England’s top-order collapsed. Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Dawid Malan, and Ben Stokes all fell cheaply. Jos Buttler and Harry Brook were dismissed soon after, leaving England reeling at 68/6 in 12 overs. Gus Atkinson (35) and Mark Wood (43*) tried to fight back, but England were bowled out for 170 in just 22 overs, losing by 229 runs.

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Unnati Madan

Unnati is a passionate cricket writer with a deep love and understanding of the game. As a female cricket writer, she brings a unique perspective to the sport, having had to overcome various challenges to pursue her passion for cricket. Growing up, Unnati developed a love for cricket by watching matches with her family. She was always fascinated by the way the game was played, and would often spend hours reading about cricket, analyzing matches, and learning more about the sport. However, as a female in a male-dominated industry, she faced numerous obstacles to pursue her passion for cricket writing. Despite this, Unnati persevered and became an accomplished writer in the field. Unnati’s writing style is engaging and insightful, with a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the nuances of the game. Her articles are known for their depth of analysis, and she is often sought after for her strong opinions on the sport. Unnati has a unique ability to break down complex ideas and make them accessible to a wide audience, which has helped her build a large following of readers.