England captain Jos Buttler talks about his ODI Retirement plans ahead of ICC World Cup 2023: England captain Jos Buttler has opened up on his retirement plans in the One Day International (ODI) format ahead of his team’s first warm-up match against the host, India, on Saturday. Of late there have been reports that the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 will be the last tournament to witness several big gun players, who have dominated the format for a long time during the peak of their careers.
Buttler, 33, said he still wants to play for England, although he has just turned 33, it is a matter of pride and honour for him to play for his country at the highest level.
“Hopefully, I will be playing for England a while longer yet,” Buttler told Mail Sport. “I know I have just ticked over 33, but I don’t feel that old.”
“I don’t think anything can quite replicate playing for your country. It is a huge honour you don’t take for granted, but at the same time, I am pretty calm. That’s where I’m at in my career. I am excited for whatever is left. I still feel there are areas I want to improve and get better as a player, which is a nice place to be because it gives you desire and motivation.”
Over the years, the dynamics of cricket have changed to a large extent. The viewership has turned its back to the ODI format and shifted to the shorter formats. Moreover, with the onset of multiple T20 leagues across the globe, the scope for cricketers has gotten bigger.
Reportedly, Buttler was offered a multi-year lucrative deal from his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals to let go of his national contract and be a full-time player for the Royals. The contract will result in Butter spending the majority of his time playing for the T20 franchises for Rajasthan Royals-owned franchises across various leagues around the world.
Jos Buttler admitted the fact that the landscape of the sport has changed and he will have to figure out what suits best for him going forward after the ICC World Cup 2023.
“Whatever happens will work out itself. The landscape has changed a bit and there are more opportunities now. It’s just a question of what fits for you moving forward and what’s best,” he added.
Moving forward England will see a couple of their players having their last dance in the ODI format. In fact, around the world, many celebrated cricketers are expected to retire from the 50-overs game in order to prolong their other format careers.
Buttler said he has not heard anything about the retirement of the players yet, however, he did not decline the possibility of players opting to move out of the format after the World Cup 2023.
“I don’t know anyone’s intentions and I haven’t heard anything about international retirement from anyone in the group. I don’t think if anyone’s thinking that at the moment because they are focused on the team and playing well at the start of an exciting campaign. But there might be individuals after this World Cup who want to make some kind of decision. We don’t need to add pressure by saying this is the last dance or anything like that.”
“We are looking forward to the World Cup and we have got a really strong group of players. Any time you get to represent your country at the World Cup is very exciting and needs your full attention. You don’t want anyone thinking too far past it,” Buttler said.
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