'Good feeling around England squad' ahead of T20 World Cup, says Buttler

By Sports Desk May 31, 2024

Jos Buttler says there is a "good feeling" around the England squad, following their pre-T20 World Cup series win over Pakistan.

The reigning champions, who begin their title defence against Scotland in Barbados on Tuesday, completed their preparations with a seven-wicket victory at The Oval wrapping up a 2-0 series win.

It was a disrupted series with washouts preventing the T20Is in Leeds and Cardiff, but England finished it on a high, successfully chasing down Pakistan's total of 157 with 27 balls remaining.

Although the tourists were looking good at 59-0 within the first six overs, the pendulum swung in the hosts' favour as Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer quickly bowled Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.

Buttler (39) and Phil Salt (45) then led the way in England's successful chase on the day of the former's record-breaking 116th T20I for his country, surpassing Eoin Morgan.

And despite playing two fewer games than scheduled in the series, the skipper feels the squad are in good shape ahead of their World Cup defence. 

"We have worked hard in training and there is a good feeling around the squad," he said. "Guys are all stepping up and performing.

"It would have been nice to get two more games in to expose a few guys to different situations, but we have really good experience in the group and a lot of guys have been playing in the IPL, so we are not short of cricket."

Of his own performance, he added: "I have a quest to keep improving, trying to work on a few different things in my game that I haven't been doing. That is giving me fresh energy and motivation.

"It went well for five or six overs but then I got out. The middle order needs to step up," Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said, with his nation beginning their World Cup campaign against the United States on Thursday.

"We need to sort out those things for the World Cup. We have a few injuries, but there are a lot of positives. Our play is good in patches."

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