Jos Buttler has backed Ben Stokes to lead England to the top of the Test charts despite the side’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia this winter.
England lost the Ashes in just 11 days of cricket after mistakes in the first three Tests in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, with their lean preparation and aggressive style of cricket, plus a mid-series beach break in Noosa where they were photographed drinking, criticized.
A two-day Boxing Day win at the MCG – England’s first Test win in Australia for 15 years – ended any danger of a 5-0 lead, but they were then beaten in the series finale in Sydney, suffering a 14th defeat in their last 28 matches.
But Buttler still believes Stokes is the man to turn England’s fortunes around.
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Despite losing the Ashes comprehensively, Ben Stokes is determined to remain England captain
“A disappointing and frustrating campaign for the lads,” said Butler Ski Sports News. “I think we all thought this was the time when this team going into Australia would have a real, real chance of winning. They’re going to be frustrated that it didn’t go the way they planned.”
“But I think the guys at the top, and knowing Ben as well as I do, will take some time to assess what happened, what things they want to do a little bit differently, what things they need to improve, and what things are actually the real key pillars of the team, that they’ve done really well for many years, that they really have to stick to and double down on.”
“I think they’ll just need a little bit of time to look at him. I know Ben quite well – I played a lot of cricket with him growing up – and his determination, desire and passion to take that team forward, improve and take them to be the number one Test team in the world, where he’ll want to take them, will be stronger than ever after this tour.”
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Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain analyze England’s 4-1 defeat by Australia.
Ahead of the series, Sir Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott and Michael Vaughan were among those critical of England’s minimal preparations in Australia, which consisted of a lone in-squad game against the Lions as their only pre-series tune-up, with Stokes branding them “former” in response.
The captain would later apologize, saying “I completely misunderstood the words I said”. Head coach Brendon McCullum also admitted when the series was lost that playing just one warm-up game before the first Test in Perth – at a venue in Lilac Hill that in no way replicated the bounce conditions they faced against Australia – was a mistake.
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Despite overseeing a 4-1 Ashes defeat, Brendon McCullum wants to stay on as England manager
“In modern cricket, it’s very difficult to have the kind of preparation that previous tours have had, so I think they tried to make the best of what they had,” Buttler concluded.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the results. I think when you don’t get the results you want, it’s very easy to point the finger at certain things. Your preparation, your planning, a lot of things are going to be tied to you. You don’t really have that much choice to prepare, it’s not a blank canvas.
“Unfortunately, most travel sites have to prepare with home games or very short introductions to series these days.”
“At the end of the day, it’s about the results. If we had gotten the results the team craved, we would have been commended for their preparation and planning.”
“Unfortunately, it didn’t go according to plan, so those things came into question, but that’s an integral part of being involved in top sport.”
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Jos Buttler told Sky Sports News he “can’t wait” for The Hundred to kick off after Manchester Super Giants unveiled their new team logo
Ashes series in Australia 2025-26
Australia won the five-match series 4-1