Former England spinner Graeme Swann said that Jos Buttler will keep playing in the IPL for as long as possible because of the lucrative pay that he gets. But Graeme Swann also said that winning the T20 World Cup 2024 would be a career defining moment for Buttler.
Former England player Graeme Swann played in all game formats from T20s to Test matches. After a long battle with injuries, his breakthrough came in the late 2000s. He became an important player for England across all formats, specially Test cricket. His ability to spin the ball and make it to dip and turn away from the batsman caused a multitude of issues for other international teams. This was evident during the 2010 Ashes series between Australia and England. One of cricket’s greatest triumphs, the return of the Ashes trophy to England was made possible by Swann’s bowling.
Buttler and co had a pretty upsetting World Cup in 2023. They were the defending champions but could only win three matches throughout the tournament thereby failing to go further in group stage. The pressure on him and the whole team would be immense as they step into the T20 World Cup 2024.
In Graeme Swann’s Words
The 79-Test veteran while speaking with ESPN cricinfo said that Buuttler needs to win this T20 World Cup to solidify his legacy in cricket.
He said,
“You could say that, yeah. You’d start arguing that he’s no spring chicken anymore, which sounds so weird for me to say, that Jos Buttler is coming into the back-end of his career, because I’m sure he’ll carry on playing in the IPL until he is crawling out to the middle, because he’s getting paid so handsomely.
“He needs to win as a captain in this, just to keep himself satisfied and happy that he is the right man going forward. I hope to still see him [play for England] for a few years because I watched him in the IPL and he’s a joke. He’s still brilliant and still so dominant.”
Jos Buttler lifted the T20 WC trophy two years ago, but the 2024 season is more challenging because of England’s few and far between success in West Indies.
Graeme Swann Remembers England’s 2010 Win
Swann was a part of the 2010 winning team and he wants the present England squad to replicate the success. He even drew parallel between the team of 2010 and 2024. He commented on the topic,
“I’m excited because I see so many parallels between this team and our team [from 2010]. The ultra-aggressive top-order is the only way to play. I think if you get the two ends of the spectrum right – the first six overs with the ball, the first six overs with the bat – you win more often than not.
“We’ve got world-class spinners to bowl in the middle period. I think we cover all bases. And if we believe in ourselves and play in a very aggressive manner, we can win it.”
England’s first match against Scotland was cancelled due to rain. They will face Australia next on June 8 in Barbados.