Jos Buttler has stepped down as England’s white-ball captain after their Champions Trophy exit.
Again-to-back defeats to Australia and Afghanistan assured a group-stage exit for England, who additionally upset within the 2023 50-over and 2024 T20 World Cups beneath Buttler.
Right here, we take a look at the runners and riders who may succeed Buttler after his last match in cost in opposition to South Africa on Saturday.
Harry Brook
The most probably candidate, having just lately been appointed as Buttler’s right-hand man and impressing as a stand-in captain in 5 one-day internationals in opposition to Australia final September.
England misplaced 3-2 however Brook was the best run scorer within the sequence in a summer season the place he led Northern Superchargers to the brink of The Hundred eliminator, alongside Andrew Flintoff.
Brook has had a chastening expertise in Asia in the previous couple of weeks and him being an all-format common muddies the waters as Take a look at and white-ball programmes can overlap.
With Assessments the precedence this 12 months, he might need to skip the odd T20 or ODI sequence.
Phil Salt
Whereas Brook took care of the ODIs in Buttler’s injury-forced absence when Australia had been final in England, Salt stood in for the drawn T20 sequence and stated he “actually loved my first go at captaincy”.
A dashing opener who appears tailored for the Bazball ethos, he may gel effectively with head coach Brendon McCullum and could be accessible for each project as a result of he isn’t within the Take a look at set-up.
Nonetheless, after making only one fifty in his final 10 white-ball matches, his place within the aspect is up for debate. After a number of comfortable dismissals, there are rising issues he isn’t lower out for the rigours of ODIs.
Liam Livingstone
Livingstone was out within the chilly forward of Australia’s go to however shone after being given a second probability after which management within the Caribbean – amid Buttler’s persevering with calf issues – introduced the perfect out of him.
An unbeaten 124 in Antigua after batting increased up the order ought to have been the making of him however he has made eight scores beneath 15 in his final 10 innings.
Criticised for his shot choice within the tough function as finisher, Livingstone has a middling ODI report and will discover his place comes beneath risk.
Sam Curran
Curran has captaincy expertise with Punjab Kings within the Indian Premier League in addition to nearer to dwelling at Surrey however is out within the chilly with McCullum.
Since a participant of the match function within the triumphant 2022 T20 World Cup marketing campaign, his fortunes have mirrored that of England, together with his bowling common and financial system charge climbing and his batting not kicking on as some might need hoped.
The all-rounder, although, remains to be solely 26 and is impressing in T20 franchise leagues so his time can come once more.
His inventory might be higher for being out of the aspect as England trudged to 9 defeats of their final 10 matches.
Ben Duckett
Duckett led Welsh Hearth in The Hundred in its inaugural season in 2021 and whereas they completed second backside, Duckett completed as the lads’s competitors’s second highest run-scorer.
He and Joe Root are England’s solely batters to emerge from the previous few weeks in credit score, with Duckett excelling beneath McCullum in all three codecs.
However, as with Brook, England can be aware of his workload particularly in an Ashes 12 months, whereas Duckett’s occasional behavior of claiming the flawed factor may maintain him within the rank and file.
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