Follow UsEngland have been in terrible form in the 50-over format, having lost their last four ODI series. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, England have lost 10 of their 14 fixtures, but skipper Jos Buttler feels they can turn things around in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. England are set to commence their campaign against arch-rivals Australia in Lahore on February 22 (Saturday).
“I think the conditions will be different here as they were in India. I think everywhere you go around the world, everywhere has its own nuances and different conditions. We've got lots of guys who've played in Pakistan before, guys who've played in the PSL, so sharing those experiences,” said Buttler.
“And then every day in a game of cricket, you've got to turn up and assess conditions and play accordingly and work on that. And besides results, the environment in the group is great. The mood in the camp is really excited and the perception is one of huge optimism looking forward. We know we've got a lot of talent, we know we want to perform to the level that we know we're capable of. We're working hard to do that and we know the results will come.”
Meanwhile, Australia will be without their frontline pace attack, with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc not featuring in the tournament. While the former two were ruled out because of injuries, Starc pulled out of the competition due to personal reasons.
“They have been a real pillar of success for Australia for a long period of time, so naturally, they will be a miss for their team but they’ve got some top players to step into those shoes as well and Australia always over time have performed very well in ICC tournaments,” said Buttler.
“We expect a really tough challenge. England and Australia, there's always a great rivalry and a competitive match. And obviously, in the Champions Trophy format, each game is really a massive game. So, we look forward to it.”
Buttler will bat at No.6, where he has scored 2182 runs in 75 innings at an average of 34.63 and a strike rate of 109.3. “I feel very confident in my own form. I feel like I've been hitting the ball really well and over time ODI’s have always been my best format. I feel excited, optimistic and I think one thing with all the line-ups - you can always move around, depending on the game.”
Talking about Jofra Archer, who is getting back into rhythm after being out of action for a long period, Buttler said: “He's been fit and firing now for obviously a number of - 18 months or so since being out of the game for a while.
“So, he's really excited to put together that kind of length of time back on the field and he's obviously a superstar of the game for us. He is someone as a captain you always know you can turn to and throw the ball to and yeah he's obviously going to be really looking forward to the game tomorrow.”
Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (capt), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood