Eoin Morgan has full faith in Jos Buttler to lead England's white-ball team, though the departing captain stressed there are a host of other strong options.
Morgan confirmed his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday.
He led England to World Cup glory in 2019, three years after taking them to a T20 World Cup final.
However, he has passed 50 just once in his past eight ODIs since scoring 106 against his country of birth Ireland in February 2020.
After over seven years in charge, Morgan has decided to call time on his international career, and Buttler is widely expected to replace him.
While the wicketkeeper is not the only name in the frame, Morgan believes Buttler - who served as his vice-captain - has all the ability to step up and lead the side.
"Thankfully it's not a decision that I have to make," Morgan told Sky Sports.
"There's always some obvious candidates, Jos Buttler being one of them, Moeen Ali being the other. There's some tremendous leaders as well in that group – Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan – guys that could definitely do the job.
"Jos has been in charge, an unbelievable vice-captain while I've been captain and when he's stepped in he's been an exceptional leader.
"He obviously commands himself with the bat as one of the best players in the world and as a leader in the group, he commands tremendous respect."
Asked if he has any concerns Buttler taking on the captaincy would hinder the rest of his game, Morgan replied: "No, not at all.
"He's done it before, on tours that I've missed or been injured, he's come straight in and that's a true test of how you hold the weight of each and every decision and how it impacts your performance.
"The evidence is there that it’s never effected Jos."
Morgan sees the future being bright for England, no matter who takes over the captaincy.
He said: "I think the foundations that have been built over the last seven years are hopefully ones that will be around for a long time.
"The future is bright. We're more experienced, consistent and much more talent than we've ever had in England. The strength in depth… the future is extremely bright."
England paceman Wood sidelined until 2025 with elbow injury
England bowler Mark Wood will miss the remainder of 2024 after sustaining an injury to his right elbow.
Wood played a full part in the first Test versus Sri Lanka at Old Trafford last month, despite suffering from stiffness and discomfort while bowling during July's series against West Indies.
Wood managed two wickets in that match as England sealed a five-wicket victory, but he was then replaced by Olly Stone for the second Test at Lord's, which ended in another comprehensive home win.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has now confirmed Wood's injury will rule him out of red-ball tours of Pakistan in October and New Zealand in December.
The ECB said it will closely monitor Wood's rehabilitation ahead of a potential return to action in early 2025, with England embarking on a white-ball tour of India – their first with Brendon McCullum in charge of their limited-over sides – in January.
They then head to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19.
McCullum 'very confident' in Buttler as England's white-ball captain
Brendon McCullum retains full confidence in Jos Buttler as England's white-ball captain, describing him as his country's best-ever limited-overs cricketer.
McCullum has won plenty of admirers for his aggressive approach to Test cricket in just over two years in charge of England's red-ball side, and earlier this week his remit was expanded to include coaching the ODI and T20I teams until 2027.
The move comes after Matthew Mott quit in the wake of England's semi-final exit at June's T20 World Cup, while they also surrendered their 50-over crown in meek fashion at the 2023 World Cup in India, losing six of their nine games.
While those disappointing tournament performances saw Buttler's leadership placed under the microscope, McCullum is confident he remains the right man to lead the team.
One of the New Zealander's main aims upon taking his new role, which he will formally start in January, is to get Buttler enjoying his cricket again.
"I am very confident in Buttler as captain," he said at a press conference at The Oval. "What I want from Jos is for him to enjoy the next few years.
"If he retired tomorrow, he would probably go down as the greatest white-ball player England have produced so there is a chance, for however long he plays, to not protect anything and play with a smile on his face.
"My job is to push him towards that. He has been a little bit miserable at times, he is not naturally as expressive as some, but he has done a great job.
"He has won a World Cup as captain and been part of World Cup-winning teams previously. He is a gifted player and a fine leader."
Buttler has been ruled out of England's upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia with a calf injury and could also miss the five ODIs that follow.
McCullum's ultra-attacking approach to Test cricket coaching has been dubbed "Bazball", with England winning 19 of 28 Tests under him and averaging 4.57 runs per over, compared to 3.09 in their 29 Tests immediately prior to his appointment.
He intends to bring a similar fearlessness to the white-ball game, saying: "I will bring the positivity and style I like to operate with across all formats and I think it will give us a good chance of being successful.
"The white-ball side has been through a dynasty. They have won World Cups and some once-in-a-generation players have come through at the same time. Now a natural regeneration is required and that's the bit that excites me."
McCullum added he sought the approval of Test skipper Ben Stokes before committing to the new role, and he hopes Stokes could yet be persuaded to return to limited-overs cricket, having prioritised the longer format during an injury-hit spell.
"In terms of white-ball, why not? We will see where he sits. He loves big moments and big stages but our players can't play everything," McCullum said of Stokes.
"There will be some bilateral series where we can't have all our best players at the same time but when it comes to major events and big series, those players are very much in discussions."
Gibbs-White: England job 'suits Carsley perfectly'
Morgan Gibbs-White believes Lee Carsley is a perfect fit for the England job and has backed the interim head coach to get the full-time position.
Gibbs-White is one of four new players, along with Angel Gomes, Tino Livramento and Noni Madueke, to be called up in Carsley's first England squad for the start of their Nations League campaign.
The Nottingham Forest captain was a key player for Carsley in the U21s, making 15 appearances under him, and was also part of the Under-21 European Championship win last year.
England won all six of their matches at the tournament in Romania and Georgia, scoring 11 goals and overperforming their expected goals (xG) figures by 2.5.
Their defensive solidity was just as important to their success though, as they did not concede a single goal from 79 shots faced.
And Gibbs-White thinks that with his credentials, Carsley should be a real contender to become the permanent England manager.
"I know how he works, he's a great manager tactically, man-management is great," Gibbs-White said.
"I was buzzing when I found out that he got the job as he really deserved it, and I feel like it suits him perfectly.
"Hopefully the games go well for him, and you never know what the future holds."
Madueke, another of the players to make the move up from England U21, also has faith that Carsley will do well in the role.
The Chelsea winger made 19 appearances under the 50-year-old, with only Taylor Harwood-Belis (21) being handed more caps than him.
"He has great ideas, and he is also able to implement the way he wants to play, like in your mind, and make it easy for you," Madueke told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I feel as though all of the top managers have that.
"Definitely I couldn't speak more highly of him. I feel as though he is a great manager. I feel as though he knows the pathway, he knows the system.
"He knows the FA; he has been working at the FA for a long time. [He is] similar to Gareth [Southgate] in that sense, so I hope he can do extremely well.
"I have got all the belief in him for sure."
England begin their Nations League campaign against the Republic of Ireland in League B Group 2 before hosting Finland on Tuesday.
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