New Delhi [India], February 26: Ahead of England’s crucial match against Afghanistan in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 at Lahore on Wednesday, former England opener Nick Knight expressed his concerns about the team’s use of skipper Jos Buttler in the batting lineup.
Buttler, who batted at number 6 in England’s opening match against Australia, scored just 23 runs off 21 balls, with a strike rate of 109.52, hitting one boundary and a maximum. Knight believes England is not utilizing Buttler’s full potential by placing him lower in the order.
“I have really strong feelings about this. Jos Buttler, for me, is not taking enough part in the construction of an innings. He’s one of the best in the world, simple as that, let alone one of the best in the team. He’s the best player. With your best player, you want them to play as much of a role within the outcome of the innings as possible,” Knight said during ESPNcricinfo’s Matchday show.
Further analyzing England’s tactics, Knight criticized the decision to send Harry Brook in when the partnership between Ben Duckett and Joe Root was broken. Knight felt Buttler should have come in instead, suggesting that England should be more flexible with their batting lineup.
“I thought England made an error in the last game when they had that partnership broken between [Joe] Root and [Ben] Duckett and they brought in Harry Brook. Harry Brook is a very fine player but is a little bit out of touch at the moment. I personally would have just sent Buttler in. As soon as it ticks over to 20-25 overs, Buttler’s in next… Be flexible with your batting line-up, get your best player in,” the 55-year-old added.
With both teams fighting to stay in the tournament, England and Afghanistan will face off in a must-win match at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The loser of this encounter will be eliminated from the tournament. Afghanistan lost their opener to South Africa, while England failed to defend a big total against Australia. Given the Australia-South Africa match ended in a washout, this clash effectively becomes a knockout game.
The matchup promises an exciting contest between England’s powerful batting lineup and Afghanistan’s skilled spinners.