"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">SOUTHAMPTON
– Jos Buttler says he is ready to step up and captain England in the World Cup
if injured skipper Eoin Morgan fails to recover in time to face Afghanistan on
Tuesday.
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">Morgan had
to leave the field with a back spasm during the West Indies innings in
Southampton on Friday, with opening batsman Jason Roy also forced off the field
due to a tight hamstring.
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">Vice-captain
Buttler himself was unable to keep wicket in the team’s previous match against
Bangladesh but said he was fully fit as he contemplates leading the side.
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">“I’d rather
Eoin plays,” said Buttler. “He’ll have a scan and Jason the same and see how
their injuries are but obviously we hope for the best.”
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">But he said
England’s approach would not change much if Morgan did not make it in time.
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">“We’ve
played under Eoin for a long time,” he said. “I think he’s a fantastic captain.
He’s someone I’ve tried to learn from, being vice-captain. I’ve talked to him a
lot about the game. We’ve got some quite similar views so I think it would be
very similar.”
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">The
injuries to Roy and Morgan in Southampton forced England to rejig, with Test
captain Joe Root moving up the order and scoring a century as an opener as the
host nation cruised to victory by eight wickets.
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">It is that
flexibility and the quality of the players not currently in the starting 11
including Tom Curran, Moeen Ali and James Vince that gives Buttler confidence.
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">“Yes they
are absolutely (ready to step in). We’ve talked about how hard the 15 was to
pick and getting in the 11 is a really competitive squad so those guys on the
sidelines are fantastic players who are all ready to play.”
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">Buttler,
28, said multi-tasking by performing wicketkeeping duties and captaining the
side would not be a problem.
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">“If it
comes to it and I have to captain it’s obviously a huge honour every time you
have to do it. From behind the stumps you have a fantastic view of what’s going
on but it’s just down to yourself to manage those two jobs and separate them as
much as you can,” he said.
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">“One of the
strengths of the group is that there are lots of guys in the team willing to
offer opinions and advice so there are plenty of guys to talk to but Joe Root
would be the obvious one.”
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">Buttler has
been in fine form during the World Cup, smashing 103 in a losing cause
against Pakistan, with Australia great Shane Warne hailing him as “one of the
most destructive batsmen who’s played white-ball cricket”.
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">But the
understated Buttler brushed aside the compliment.
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;
mso-ansi-language:EN-ZA;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA;mso-no-proof:no">“I know
Warney a bit from Rajasthan (Indian Premier League) so he’s probably just
pumping my tyres up.”
"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#222222;