Jos Buttler is looking to Joe Root for inspiration as he looks to flourish in his “new phase” as a former England captain.
Buttler stepped down as leader of England’s white-ball team earlier this year after two disappointing World Cup campaigns, passing the baton to Harry Brook over the summer.
With his 35th birthday just around the corner, he could easily have walked away entirely in pursuit of guaranteed riches as a full-time franchise freelancer.
But he remains committed to following the lead of Root, who has scored 14 hundreds and averaged 58 since being replaced as Test skipper by Ben Stokes.
“It’s not that I wasn’t enjoying my cricket before, but I obviously wasn’t enjoying the way it was going,” he told the PA news agency.
“Part of the challenge of cricket is trying to come through that, being resilient and getting out the other end.
“I’ve had a bit of time and space and I do feel like I have a better understanding now of where I was as a player and captain. I’m a bit more relaxed and enjoying my cricket again. I do feel like I’m in a new phase of my career.
“Now that I’m not captain anymore it’s about me playing the best I can for the team. I love playing for England, it’s an honour, and I want to do as much as I can.
“Rooty has been a massive inspiration in that, seeing the impact I can have as a senior player. He’s gone to some amazing new levels and he knows what it’s like to not be captain any more and still give back to the team. That’s the opportunity that is out there for me. Joe’s a good mate of mine and has been really helpful in making that transition.”
Buttler, who is the marquee player for Manchester Originals in the Hundred, was speaking at the unveiling of Compare the Market’s new mural in the city, bearing his likeness alongside Southern Brave’s Chris Jordan, Emma Lamb of Birmingham Phoenix and three aspiring juniors from the Chance to Shine street cricket programme.
The tournament is in its final year before the arrival of eight new investment groups, who are set to pay a combined £520million for a seat at the table. Four teams will be tied to groups involved with Indian Premier League franchises and Buttler, arguably the Englishman most associated with that competition, expects big things.
“The level of investment is mindblowing. It’s going to be the next evolution of the Hundred,” he said.
“The IPL is enormous, it’s a different beast, and the owners will be bringing new ideas, new expertise and they will want to really push things to be the best they can be.
“The calibre of people getting involved, from the IPL to the tech giants, is awesome. It’s going to be a really exciting time for English cricket, on and off the field.”
:: Jos Buttler was speaking at the unveiling of a new mural commissioned by principal partner of The Hundred, Compare the Market in partnership with the children’s charity, Chance to Shine.