Bold claim: Jos Buttler can—and will—turn England’s downbeat form around, even if Friday’s T20 World Cup match against New Zealand isn’t a must-win for England. But here’s where it gets controversial: England may field a side that isn’t their absolute best in this phase, yet they’re counting on Buttler to snap his slump and reclaim the aura of the white-ball assassin he’s known to be.
England hasn’t officially confirmed their strongest XI for Friday, and they’re weighing conditions before finalising. The coaching staff are nonetheless confident that Buttler is on the verge of recapturing his elite standards, believing a couple of clean hits are all that stand between him and a big innings.
After six matches at the tournament, Buttler’s top score is 26, achieved in the opener against Nepal. In their last four games he has managed 3, 3, 7, and 2. That run marks his poorest stretch in international T20s since early 2012, when he followed a 13 with five single-digit scores across a string of games.
Tim Southee, England’s bowling coach, reaffirmed Buttler’s threat: “He’s one of the most dangerous white-ball batters to face. When you’re that good and you hit a little slump, the pressure mounts. But he’s hitting it well in the nets, and I’m sure he’s just a few big shots away from another extraordinary innings. He’s doing his business.”
England haven’t named their Friday XI yet, with Southee noting they’ll pick a team suited to the surface and the matchup with New Zealand. He did underscore Buttler’s importance: “He’s such a dangerous player. When you see his name on the team sheet, it’s a worry for any bowler.”
Beyond Buttler’s confidence, Mark Wood offered his support on Thursday, telling Buttler to trust his abilities. Appearing on Buttler’s former captaincy podcast, Wood said: Buttler has endured tough spells before and can draw on those experiences. Fans alike want perfect scores, but cricket isn’t like that. Even a few low scores don’t erase his class. If I were advising Jos, I’d tell him to keep believing in himself as much as we believe in him.”
Across the Tasman, New Zealand head coach Rob Walter suggested Buttler’s revival is predictable given his track record. “You wouldn’t doubt Jos Buttler’s quality,” Walter said. “Every batter goes through a lull at some point in their career, and often one innings can change everything. No one questions his talent, and we won’t.”
Buttler remains the only member of England’s top seven not to have scored a 40+ at least once in this World Cup, yet motivation across England remains high even with a spot in the semi-finals already secured. England are chasing another level of precision and performance, aiming for a sustained peak rather than merely reaching the knockout stage.
For New Zealand, victory is essential to solidify a semi-final place. Whoever wins Friday’s game will top the group and likely dodge South Africa, who have emerged as the form side after beating India and crushing the West Indies recently.
Quick Guide
Possible teams for Friday
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson; England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
One source of encouragement for England’s batters is New Zealand’s lack of wicket-taking impact in the tournament. New Zealand have taken 27 wickets, roughly half the 51 England have claimed across an extra match. Batters have shown higher averages against New Zealand than versus most other teams—England’s opponents typically boast stronger bowling units, yet the Kiwis have struggled to consistently remove a top-order lineup. Against England, the typical batter averages around 18.11, while against New Zealand the figure climbs to roughly 28.62, with similar strike rates.
Walter added: “Even in games where we didn’t take a full quota of wickets, we still won. In T20, constraint can be as valuable as wickets. For us, taking wickets is the end result of executing a plan. It’s about reading conditions, understanding what the bowling unit must do, and delivering it together. Whether we have all ten wickets or only a few, if we win, that’s what matters.”
