England skipper Jos Buttler believes that the England squad would look to gain from IPL experience when they defend their World Cup title in India. The 33-year-old insisted that his team’s aggressive style of play would benefit them in India’s difficult conditions as they sought to defend their 50-over World Cup title in India.
English side clinched their first-ever ICC Cricket World Cup trophy by the finest of margins against New Zealand on their home soil four years back and the team has got potential to defend their title. The 2019 World Cup champions will kick off the 2023 event on October 5 in Ahmedabad.
Speaking to the media ahead of their campaign opener against New Zealand, Jos Buttler thinks that playing in the IPL provides a great deal of familiarity with the various venues and conditions in India. He also thinks that many players on the other teams will share some traits with their team, which would be a huge advantage for the other teams going into the mega event.
“I think it gives us a lot of familiarity with the venues and the travel around India, the hotels you stay in, and those kinds of things. So, we know what to expect. Obviously, we’re playing 50 over cricket, not 20 over cricket as you would in the IPL”.
“And lots of the other teams are in a similar position with that. Many players from all around the world come here and experience the IPL. So, I believe that’s an advantage for most teams to have played quite a bit of cricket in India,” Jos Buttler said.
Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, and Chris Woakes, who were members of the World Cup-winning England team on home soil, have all kept their places in the squad for the mega event have ample amount of experience playing in IPL and could be crucial for the team’s chances in the marquee event.
Harry Brook Has Not Played Loads Of ODI Cricket, But The Format That Should Suit Him – Jos Buttler
With uncertainty looming over Ben Stokes’s fitness for the first game against New Zealand, Jos Buttler hinted that the team might go with young Harry Brook for the high-octane clash against the 2019-runners and backs the young batter to come good in the ODI format of the game.
“We all know what a fantastic player he is. The start to his international career has been outstanding – in T20 cricket and the Test format. He’s not played loads of ODI cricket, but it’s a format that should suit him perfectly. It will allow him to bat for a long time and make big runs, which he enjoys doing. So, he has got all the shots, you know, for Test cricket, he can play big innings. So, it’s a format that should suit him well,” Jos Buttler added.
Harry Brook has been a sensational performer for England in all three formats since he made his debut against the West Indies in 2022. The 24-year-old is already touted to be the next big thing in the world of cricket and has been impressive for England in his short cricketing career so far. The right-handed batter would look to put up a fine show in the opening game against New Zealand if provided an opportunity in the playing 11.
