New Delhi: England fast bowling consultant Tim Southee has backed opener Jos Buttler to make a strong comeback in the T20 World Cup 2026 despite his poor
run with the bat. England have already qualified for the semifinals of the ongoing tournament, and will take on New Zealand in their last Super 8 match at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, February 27.
Buttler has struggled to score runs in the T20 World Cup 2026, amassing just 62 runs from six matches at an average of 10.33 and a strike rate of 110.71. He is the fourth-highest run-scorer in T20I history, but hasn’t registered a half-century in any of his last 16 international innings.
He began his tournament by scoring 26 runs against Nepal in Mumbai, and amassed 21 against the West Indies at the same venue. The England opener then registered four single-digit scores in the last four games.
‘He’s just a couple of good strikes away from another amazing innings’: Southee
Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Tim Southee said that he has played with and against Buttler, describing him as one of the most dangerous white-ball batters. He further added that a small blip can make a batter feel a bit more pressure.
“But he’s hitting the ball as well as ever in the nets, and I’m sure he’s just a couple of good strikes away from another amazing innings – the kind we’ve seen so many times from him over the years,” Tim Southee said.
Southee further added that Buttler is doing everything he can to perform, and as a batter, anyone can have a few low scores, but that doesn’t take away all the good things the opener achieved for England over the years.
“He’s going about his business and doing everything he can to perform. That’s the tough part about being a batter – you can have a couple of low scores, but that doesn’t take away from all the great things he’s done for England and in T20 cricket over the years,” he added.
England defeated Pakistan by two wickets to qualify for the semis on Tuesday. Their next match will primarily decide which of New Zealand or Pakistan join them in the knockouts.
