‘I’ve made too many mistakes… But I have massive self-belief’: Jos Buttler vows to cement his place in England’s Test side on upcoming Sri Lanka tour
- Jos Buttler’s form with the bat has dipped in his time with the England Test side
- But in the one-day format, Buttler is one of the most gripping players to watch
- The wicket-keeper wants to repay faith shown in him on England’s Sri Lanka tour
Jos Buttler is determined to prove he still belongs in Test cricket even though he accepts he is running out of time to fulfil his huge potential on the biggest red-ball stage.
England’s most gifted white-ball player travels to Sri Lanka next week for the two-Test series that completes the international winter desperately hoping to justify the red-ball faith shown in him after a dismal time in New Zealand and South Africa.
‘I’m very committed to Test cricket,’ said Buttler. ‘It’s the best and hardest form of the game. That’s what makes it, when you have good moments, the most rewarding. You want to be a part of that.
Jos Buttler accepts he needs to offer more with the bat during his England Test appearances
Buttler is grateful to remain in the England Test squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour
‘My performances have meant the decision could have been taken out of my hands. But fortunately I’m on this tour and I’ve got great memories of Sri Lanka from when we last went there. I’m really looking forward to it.’
Buttler knows, for all the support he has received from national selector Ed Smith, captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood, there will not be many more chances if he fails in Colombo and Galle to build on a record of just one hundred in 41 Tests.
‘I’ve just made too many mistakes,’ said Buttler, 29. ‘But I’ve got massive self-belief and a lot of it is about fulfilling my potential. I’m too old now to be picked on that potential. I haven’t got to the Test level I know I can reach and that’s a big driver for me.’
Buttler, who is expected to start as England’s keeper-batsman in Sri Lanka ahead of the recalled Ben Foakes, has not really been himself ever since the momentous moment he completed the run out last summer that won England the World Cup.
Buttler does not believe that a busy schedule has contributed to a downturn in Test form
After England’s tour of Sri Lanka, Buttler will be in action for the IPL side Rajasthan Royals
He has even admitted he would have struggled to play on had that tumultuous final at Lord’s gone New Zealand’s way. Could it be he has still not fully recovered from the enormous mental effort that entailed?
‘That’s an easy assumption to make,’ he insisted. ‘A lot went into the World Cup, not just last summer but over four years, and the realisation of it all coming together can confuse you. So you’ve got to quickly re-assess but I maintain I just haven’t played as well as I’d like to have done.’
There is, of course, little time for England’s elite players to catch their breath in an increasingly chaotic schedule. Buttler was speaking at the London offices of the Rajasthan Royals, the Indian Premier League team he will represent as soon as the Sri Lanka series is over.
Buttler is looking forward to getting back to the IPL but his focus for now is only on England
It will become harder and harder to play in all international formats but he is adamant he wants to.
‘You have a short shelf-life so you have to make the most of it,’ added Buttler. ‘There are times to try and pick your breaks. Being busy is not why I haven’t played well enough in Test cricket.
‘Maybe in South Africa I tried too hard to counter-attack after the first Test. I’ve just got to play the situation in front of me and react to it.’
The IPL returns to Sky Sports for the 2020 season where you can watch the Rajasthan Royals’ star English contingent of Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Tom Curran