England captain Jos Buttler said his side is aiming to play their aggressive brand of cricket, take on the game and push their own boundaries as they aim to retain their Men’s ODI World Cup title by kicking off the tournament against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday.
England head into the tournament as double world champions in white-ball cricket – winning Men’s ODI World Cup on home soil in 2019 under Eoin Morgan’s captaincy and clinching the T20 World Cup title in 2022 under Buttler’s leadership. Their quest to win three white-ball titles starts by facing New Zealand, in what is a re-match of the 2019 finale.
“We want to play aggressive cricket, take the game on and push the boundaries of what we’re capable of as players and as a team. We play in a style that people like watching. We risk losing to try and win which creates exciting games and that’s what people like to watch.”
“Every game is different. We’ve had some fantastic matches against New Zealand over the years and our first game is a big one for everyone involved. The best team on the day will win.”
“We’ve got a really experienced team and we came together in the ODI series for New Zealand having not played for a little while, but everyone has fitted seamlessly into their roles and the familiarity of the group,” said Buttler to Sky Sports.
Buttler said he is aware that other teams will be coming with good preparation to win the coveted trophy. “We might be champions at the moment, but everyone gets better, everyone trains harder, and if you don’t then you get left behind.”
“Heading into this World Cup we’ll know that every other team would have been training just as hard as us and we’ll have to make sure we’re in the best place possible to win. I don’t think you’re ever at your best. There’s so much depth to the game and there’s always another shot or technique you want to master.”
“When you’re in a position of being a role model, you have the responsibility to play in a way that excites young fans and encourages them to get involved in the game. They are the future of the game and we’ve done that really well as a team over the last decade.”
Buttler signed off by saying England is excited to play in India, a country where they now come regularly due to the Indian Premier League (IPL). “I’m excited for the opportunity to captain this side in a World Cup. It’s a huge honour and I’m really excited. There isn’t anywhere in the world quite like India for the cricket and the passion the fans have over there. They create a special environment.”
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