In white-ball cricket, Jos Buttler can be a seemingly unstoppable force and one of the few batsmen who has that fear factor among bowlers.
Just ask the Sri Lankan team at the 2021 T20 World Cup.
With 148 matches in ODIs, he has an average of 38. But his average in the recent years has been far better, averaging near 50 in 2018 and 2019 when the last proper ODI cricket was played.
He is an able keeper, having a dismissal-to-innings rate of 1.47 with over 180 catches along with over 30 stumpings.
In T20Is too, he has developed to be a great force to be reckoned with, averaging 48 in 2020 and an astonishing 65 in 2021.
He has shown good leadership qualities too, winning three out five T20Is and five out of eight ODIs as captain.
However, the same cannot be said about his red-ball career.
Apart from 2018 when he played mostly on home pitches and a weakened Sri Lankan side in the away games he did play, he has not met his potential in terms of numbers.
Jos Buttler is just not the same force in Test cricket, averaging just 31.94, lower than the likes of Jonny Bairstow (34.14).
And his wicketkeeping performance is worse than someone like Ben Foakes could perform.
(Photo by Jason McCawley – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
His dismissal-to-innings ratio is marginally lower than his performance in ODIs, which is not a positive representation of able Test wicketkeepers.
Buttler has been given the important number seven position, which is thought to play the second new ball just like Adam Gilchrist used to play back in the day.
But Buttler just does not give the same confidence ‘Gilly’ did. He averages only 27 in 34 matches in the position, which is poor.
If England do not have a competent keeper-batsman (that is perhaps a bit unfair to Jonny Bairstow and Ollie Pope), then they should focus on competent pure keepers.
Like Wriddhiman Saha, someone like Ben Foakes would perfectly fit the bill.
Runs can be saved and wicket opportunities can be seized if a team gives the spot to a keeper of that standard.
As an English fan, I concede that I might be harsh on him due to his Ashes performance.
But he should just do an MS Dhoni and focus purely on white-ball cricket, where he is far more likely to flourish both as a batsman and a keeper, while planning to take over the white-ball captaincy once Eoin Morgan retires.
Mike
Guest
Any talk about Buttler's batting is irrelevant. His keeping is so poor that it doesn't matter how he bats. Gilly was awesome because his keeping was very good. Had his keeping been poor then we would've had a problem - probably take the gloves from him and bat him as a no.6. A keeper's main job is to keep well. It's his bread and butter.
Mike
Guest
Your comments make me laugh Frank. I assume they're comedy right?
All day Roseville all day
Roar Guru
If the ECB contracts him, and the selectors want him, then of course he should make himself available. "For King and Country." If not, he can play BBL or relax at home in an English winter. Just sad if he's genuinely the best available, and an indictment of its succession planning.
Nathan Hall
Roar Pro
Guys- I think we are being unfair to Chris Silverwood here. The man is so good that he still has no signs of being sacked despite such an abysmal performance, at least give him kudos for that :laughing: . On a serious note though, at this rate Silverwood would be lucky to coach a CPL team...
Nathan Hall
Roar Pro
Agreed as always Paul
Nathan Hall
Roar Pro
It is a real shame that he fails to, I strongly like his potential but also think its abit of a shame for his failure to fulfil it.
Nathan Hall
Roar Pro
I think red and white ball games are quite different in nature, Butlers natural game is the one we saw in T20 World Cup but we also saw what that approach does with Rishabh Pant's outing in Johanesburg. Just do not think he is a multi-format keeper/batsman like Gilchrist or even Mark Boucher were (hence the comparison, the ability to adapt to every format as opposed to stats or reputation)
Nathan Hall
Roar Pro
Indeed.
GW
Roar Pro
As a former tennis player said “you can’t be serious?”. England have been reasonably pathetic; it’s not the Aussies fault!
Paul
Roar Guru
I recall that conversation Ian. I was truly hoping we'd be proven wrong, but sadly that's not the case.
Ian
Roar Rookie
Hello Paul. We commented at least 12 months ago that giving Chris Silverwood total control of the England team was a fiasco waiting to happen....and guess what????? English Cricket has the talent, what it doesn't have is the brains to use it. Hopefully things will change but as we know, it's the hope that kills.
Ian
Roar Rookie
He's played 57 Test matches, scored 2 Test centuries ( 7 in his First Class Career) and averages 31.94 with the bat, but as I say, he's the best paid man in English Cricket....and we wonder why England have just been thrashed Down under...again!
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
I think Starc has a pretty reasonable record with the pink ball, doesn't he ? ie the best ever. The test to rest him was the at SCG where he has a poor rec\ord. We missed a trick there.
Paul
Roar Guru
:laughing:
Redcap
Roar Guru
That would make for an interesting series - test cricket meets village green. Would Warner be allowed a runner if he started seeing double?
Paul
Roar Guru
It seems cluelessness is contagious
Paul
Roar Guru
I saw this definition. Number 1 might be closer to what Franks on about. https://slangdefine.org/s/slamber-d18b.html
Redcap
Roar Guru
Slamber - didn't know that was a word. Well, it sort of is, apparently.
Tony
Roar Guru
He seems to have plenty of company, Giles, Root, Hameed.......
Paul
Roar Guru
"He will play next summer vs Windies and make a slamber of runs" How many runs is a slamber, Frank? You're also right about the Australian batting being a shambles. In a low scoring series, Australia has 4 recognised batsmen averaging over 45 and a fast bowler averaging over 75. Now Roots men are also living up to expectations with one guy averaging over 35. If our batting's a shambles, I wonder what that makes Englands?