Taking off the gloves helping Jos Buttler to appreciate England’s success

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Jos Buttler admitted lightening his workload by giving up the wicketkeeping role has helped him to appreciate England’s T20 series victory over the West Indies even more.

England’s white-ball captain returned from four months out because of a calf injury as a specialist batter in five T20s in the Caribbean, delegating the gloves to Lancashire team-mate Phil Salt.

The decision allowed him to field closer to his bowlers and communicate with them more clearly, fast bowler Saqib Mahmood pointing out his success in a 3-1 win owed plenty to Buttler’s shrewd calls.

While Buttler stopped short of committing to the switch full-time, he has relished the experiment after leading England to their first T20 series triumph overseas since October 2022.

“It’s been good for me to take one less thing off my plate,” Buttler said after the fifth and final T20 was washed out in St Lucia on Sunday.

“If anything it’s taken a load off – not having to practise my wicketkeeping drills and you’re not expending energy on that side.

“Maybe you’ve just got a bit more time to think and see how the game is panning out. Change is good sometimes. I’ve enjoyed being closer to the bowlers.”

Taking away the gloves was a call made in conjunction with inbound Brendon McCullum, who will assume responsibility for the white-ball sides in the new year in addition to his duties as Test head coach.

McCullum has made it his mission to cheer up Buttler when he takes the reins after admitting the 34-year-old had been “miserable at times” during England’s surrender of both limited-overs World Cups.

Buttler himself has vowed to savour what remains of his career, with his core mission to help usher in the next generation of ODI and T20 cricketers, and he is gaining an understanding of what that means.

“It’s so easy to say ‘go out there and enjoy yourself’ but the results do play a part in that – you enjoy playing well, winning games of cricket and you strive hard to do that,” said Buttler.

“What I’m realising is saying you want to go out there and enjoy yourself doesn’t mean that you don’t try any less hard or you don’t want it as much as you did. It’s more taking in the smaller moments.

“Sometimes you’ve got the blinkers on and you’re out there just trying to win a game of cricket.

“I’m just trying to be more eyes wide open as opposed to just runs and results. Maybe without keeping wicket just gives me a bit more time to do that, it’s something I’ve felt over the last week or so.”

Mahmood was named player of the series after a nine-wicket haul in four matches, eight dismissals coming in the powerplay which frequently set the tone for England victories in the first three T20s.

Having missed out on a central contract after successive stress fractures limited his playing time in 2022 and 2023, Mahmood is making up for lost time and Buttler has been impressed by his displays.

“Having just gone through an injury recently – nothing as serious as Saqy – you realise how much hard work it is,” said Buttler, who reported no setbacks with his calf on Sunday evening.

“He got those injuries when he was involved in all three formats for England and had an extended period out. To put all that work in to get to where he is as man-of-the-series in this is testament to all his hard work.

“More than anything he showed great skill with the ball and he got the results he deserved.”