Jos Buttler is pleased to have England's "winning habit back" after securing a 3-1 T20I series win over West Indies, with the final match abandoned due to rain.

England had opted to bowl and the hosts reached 44-0 through Evin Lewis (29) and Shai Hope (14) after five overs before the downpour began in St Lucia.

Despite ground staff's attempts to clear the surface, the match was abandoned, with England claiming the win, having lost the ODI leg of the tour 2-1.

The tourists had won the first three T20Is, with the West Indies earning a consolation on Saturday in a high-scoring clash. Despite not finishing their final white-ball assignment of 2024, Buttler was delighted with the work his side have done this week.

"We're delighted with the series win. We've played some brilliant cricket," Buttler said.

"I've been happy with how we've started games, setting the tone with the powerplay wickets, as we've seen from Saqib being named player of the series. We've had lots of different guys chipping in at various times, so I'm really pleased for everybody.

"The fast-bowling department is looking good, and they all bring something different with their variety, so it's exciting for English cricket to have that.

"I enjoyed it [being captain without keeping], I felt like I had a bit more time, and it was nice to be out there running around and closer to the bowlers. I got everything I wanted to out of doing that.

"It's great to have the winning habit back."

West Indies struggled to carry over their ODI form into the T20I series but were looking to restore some pride in the final match, having impressed in the fourth. Captain Rovman Powell is now hoping they can find some consistency.

"It's been a tough series and credit Jos Buttler and his team, who came to these conditions and dominated. Having said that, we played good cricket in patches but not in long enough periods," he said.

"I think we always, as a batting group, use a template, but that didn't work in our first few games. As a team, we need to assess faster. It took us two or three games. The bowling group needs to sharpen up in a few areas.

"It's always a problem with the Caribbean cricketers, we always wander off when we are not playing for West Indies. It's a treadmill, and we don't spend time together. We have to keep our communication with players and ensure they are ready to go."

Jos Buttler "enjoyed" being back out in the middle after powering England to a seven-wicket victory over West Indies in the second T20I.

The captain scored 83 off 45 balls, hitting eight fours and six sixes in his knock, as he turned the game back in England's favour, having been taken for a golden duck in his first match back from injury last time out.

West Indies struggled to gain momentum early on, with Rovman Powell's 43 settling them somewhat after a shaky start, but Saqib Mahmood (2-20), Liam Livingstone (2-16) and Dan Mousley (2-29) kept England in a good position, helping keep their target down as the hosts finished on 158-8.

The chase got off to the worst possible start though, as Phil Salt was dismissed on the first ball, but Buttler stepped in to put up a 129-run stand with Will Jacks before they were both dismissed by Romario Shepherd in the 13th over.

Livingstone (23) and Jacob Bethell (3) then helped get the tourists over the line, reaching 161 with 31 balls remaining to extend their series lead to 2-0.

Buttler was pleased to find his rhythm this time around but is already looking ahead to how they can stay in control in the third match.

"It is great to spend time in the middle. I was a bit scratchy for the first few balls, but I managed to come through that period and really enjoyed it. It was great to be back out there," Buttler told TNT Sports.

"I have lots of experience, I have played for a while and batted in lots of different positions. I am just waiting to see what happens and playing what is in front of me.

"We have got to start again [in the third T20I of the series]. We are playing a top team in the West Indies, who are excellent in T20 cricket. They will come back hard, and we have to be ready from ball one in the next game."

West Indies stumbled through the powerplay, losing their first three wickets in the first four overs for just 35 runs.

Powell was disappointed not to make a better start, pointing out that they gave themselves a mountain to climb.

"Obviously the surface gave a bit to the fast bowlers, something that is a trend here in Barbados," he said. Teams generally win the toss and bowl because of what can happen in the first six [overs].

"It's a case of us trying to come out of powerplay not three down. The statistics show that if you do that, the majority of the time you come out on the losing side. As a batting group, we have to adjust.

"Somebody in the top four or five needs to bat the majority of the overs. In the past, we have done that but have struggled to do that in this series. The next three games provide an opportunity for batters to do that."

Jos Buttler is eager to put his "frustrating" injury absence behind him, and the England white-ball captain has "loads of hunger" to get back on the field.

A recurring calf injury has kept Buttler sidelined since June, with the 34-year-old also set to miss the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, which begins on Thursday.

Liam Livingstone will take over as captain in the absence of Buttler, who should return for the subsequent five-match T20 series in the Caribbean.

And the keeper-batter cannot wait to appear for his country once more.

"It's been frustrating, but now it's feeling good, and I'm looking forward to getting back on the field," he told TNT Sports. 

"[I've had] a couple of little setbacks along the way, which is frustrating, but I'm using it to motivate me. I'm just excited to get back on the pitch and back with the bat in hand in the middle.

"I'm OK at watching. I think it fuels that fire to get out in the middle and play. You want to be performing and part of the team, leading the side.

"I try not to have a mindset of being frustrated, but take it as a bit of an extended break out of the game. But hopefully, [I can] see it as some time away to really give me loads of hunger to get back on the field."

Buttler also offered his thoughts on Livingstone, who he believes is the safe pair of hands to take over the captaincy for the ODI series.

"Liam is one of the more experienced numbers in that group, and it gives him a chance to get some leadership experience, build that leadership group," he added.

"He's a player that's exciting as well, we know what he's capable of, and it's a really good opportunity for him to lead the team.

"I think it's really important to let them go out there and do their thing. You don't want to be asking someone to do exactly what you want to do, you're trying to give guys experience. If he needs a sounding board or anything, he can certainly ask my opinion."

Liam Livingstone will captain England for the first time in the ODI series against West Indies, with Jos Buttler unavailable after a setback in his injury recovery.

Buttler has not played since the T20 World Cup disappointment due to a calf injury, and will not feature in the three-match series of the 50-over clashes.

Wicket-keeper and star batter Buttler will return for the five-match T20I series that follows in the Windies, though his absence allows Livingstone to complete a remarkable turnaround for his country.

Lancashire all-rounder Livingstone was left out of the squad initially for last month's white-ball fixtures with Australia, but earned a recall thanks to Buttler's injury issues.

The 31-year-old will now lead his country with a side that also includes uncapped Essex wicket-keeper Michael Pepper in the squad after he impressed in England's T20 Blast domestic competition.

Harry Brook had captained England in Buttler's absence against Australia, but the Yorkshire batter will be unavailable due to his ongoing involvement in the Test tour of Pakistan.

Livingstone will hope for victory in his first outing leading the side when England start the three-match ODI series against the Windies in Antigua on October 31.

England white-ball squad:

Jos Buttler (Lancashire – captain) T20 series only, Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Jafer Chohan (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Will Jacks (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Dan Mousley (Warwickshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Michael Pepper (Essex), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), John Turner (Hampshire).

England's T20I series with Australia ended in a draw after Sunday's scheduled third match at Old Trafford was washed out.

Australia won the first T20I comfortably in Southampton on Wednesday, only for the hosts to level things up with a three-wicket triumph in Cardiff on Friday.

However, there was to be no decider on Sunday as heavy rain continued throughout the day in Manchester, with the match abandoned following an afternoon pitch inspection.

Both teams' attention will now switch to the first of their five ODI meetings, which is scheduled for Trent Bridge on Thursday.

England captain Jos Buttler will again be absent for the ODIs, having failed to recover from a right calf injury.

Harry Brook will lead the team in his absence, just 18 months on from his first England appearance in the format. 

After the match at Trent Bridge, the teams will face off at Headingley, Durham, Lord's and Bristol, with the final encounter taking place on September 29.

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."

England captain Jos Buttler will miss the three-match T20 series against Australia due to a calf problem.

Buttler has not played since the T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India on June 27, sustaining the injury in training for The Hundred, forcing him to sit out of the entire competition.

He was due to be back for England's T20I series but has suffered a setback, which also makes him a doubt for the five one-day internationals that follow.

Phil Salt will lead the side for the first time in Buttler's absence, with Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton called up to the squad as his replacement.

Should Buttler also miss the ODIs, which start on September 19, Harry Brook will be the stand-in captain, with Essex batter Jordan Cox added to the group as cover.

The T20I series is England's first white-ball assignment since the World Cup, with head coach Matthew Mott since leaving his role.

Marcus Trescothick will take charge of his first game on Wednesday as interim head coach, with Test coach Brendon McCullum set to take charge of the limited-overs sides in a combined role which will begin in January.

England Test captain Ben Stokes has backed Jos Buttler to stay on as skipper of the country's limited-overs sides after their T20 World Cup semi-final loss to India.

England slumped to a 68-run defeat to India on Thursday as their title defence came crashing to a halt, being skittled out for just 103 in Guyana.

Buttler's team endured an up-and-down tournament, relying on old rivals Australia to beat Scotland in order to save them from a group-stage exit before going through as runners-up again in the Super-8s.

Buttler has promised an in-depth review will take place as the dust settles on a second World Cup failure in as many years, after the ODI side relinquished the 50-over crown in India last year.

While pressure is mounting on Buttler, Stokes is confident he remains the right man to lead England into the future.

"Jos is the man to lead that white-ball team forward," Stokes told BBC Sport. "He is a great leader. He's got the respect of all the team members in the dressing room.

"They have done a great job in getting to another major semi-final. Being part of sport is about growing and progressing your side. It's not shabby to say you got through to a World Cup semi-final."

Stokes, who opted out of playing at the T20 World Cup after playing at the 50-over tournament in 2023, feels the scrutiny faced by Buttler's team is not too dissimilar to that endured by England's footballers.

The Three Lions have been fiercely criticised for their tepid performances at Euro 2024 despite topping their group with the tournament's best defensive record, and Stokes feels sportspeople in England face a unique kind of pressure.

"Unfortunately, it's the way the English mentality is – they have got through and they are getting a load of grief," Stokes said of Gareth Southgate's team.

"I know what it’s like. I guess that comes from expectation and everyone wanting their team to do well."

England captain Jos Buttler promised a thorough review will take place after his side's T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India on Thursday. 

The defending champions, who beat the same opponents at the same stage of the tournament back in 2022, were bowled out for 103 as they crashed to a 68-run loss.

India, who have not won a World Cup for 13 years, will play first-time finalists South Africa - a meeting of the tournament's two unbeaten sides in Barbados.

It is the second world title England have had relinquished in the past eight months following their disappointing defence of the 50-over World Cup last year.

"You take some time to review tournaments and try to plan ahead for the next tournaments," said Buttler following the defeat in Guyana.

"We have to review what we need to do better as a team, if that is the way we play, personnel, style of cricket.

"We will review everything and come up with a plan."

Buttler replaced Eoin Morgan as England's white-ball captain in 2022 and led them to their T20 World Cup success in Australia later that year.

He suggested he wants to stay on as captain until the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, which takes place in February next year. 

However, he added: "I am not thinking too far ahead to be honest and reflecting on the loss today, trying to review that. I haven’t thought past today."

England  are next in action in a three-match Test series against West Indies, starting on July 10. 

Adil Rashid lauded the match-winning abilities of Chris Jordan and Jos Buttler after England secured their T20 World Cup semi-final spot on Sunday.

England smashed the United States with a 10-wicket victory as Buttler powered an eye-catching 83, smashing six fours and seven sixes from just 38 balls.

Matthew Mott's white-ball side reached their 116-run target with a huge 62 deliveries to spare, sealing their place in the last four with ease after only just sneaking into the Super 8s phase.

Yet the convincing victory would not have been possible without Jordan, who managed four wickets from five balls – including a hat-trick – to end the USA's innings inside 19 overs.

Rashid, who also took 2-13 from his four-over spell, lavished praise on the England bowler, as well as captain Buttler.

"CJ's a match-winner," Rashid said in his post-match interview. "He's been doing it for a number of years, especially at the back end.

"Jos is a world-class player and has been for many a year, and hopefully we can carry it on now in the semi-finals."

Rashid was keen to share the credit among the entire England line-up, too.

"All the bowlers bowled extremely well and to restrict them to 115 was very pleasing," the leg-spinner added. "Always nice to keep it tight and get an early wicket which brings the new batter in.

"With the wind, you have to assess which end you're going to bowl. The googly's been coming out nicely, too."

Buttler seemed intent on a one-man demolition in England's chase, crunching the United States all over the pitch, including hammering 30 runs off Harmeet Singh's ninth over.

"I thought if we could bring our intensity we'd be too good," Buttler said. "I'm still one of the 11, I've got to do my job."

"We've got great options. We wanted to bring Chris Jordan back, adding a bit of depth with his batting capabilities as well. A World Cup hat-trick is a great effort."

The USA saw their World Cup run come to an end, but their victory over Pakistan will live long in the memory.

Aaron Jones, the star of the USA for much of the tournament, hopes to have put cricket on the American map.

"This is our first World Cup," he said. "I don't think people would have thought we'd be playing here against the big boys.

"Hopefully this will open the eyes of the American public. We've got a lot of calls and messages of support during this World Cup."

England booked their place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals after sauntering to a 10-wicket thrashing of the United States on Sunday.

Chris Jordan excelled at the end of the USA's innings, taking a hat-trick to finish with remarkable figures of 4-10, while Jos Buttler plundered 83 off 38 balls to see England over the line with 62 deliveries to spare.

Reece Topley, who failed to take a single wicket in the defeat to South Africa, set the tone early on as he snared Andries Gous for eight in the first over.

Though Nitish Kumar (30) and Corey Anderson (29) looked to be finding a rhythm for the tournament co-hosts, it did not last long, with Jordan entering the fray to get four wickets in five balls and bowl the USA out for just 115 in 18.5 overs.

England’s openers got all the work done themselves as Phil Salt scored 25, while Buttler did all the heavy lifting in his knock, smashing six fours and seven sixes, one of which hit the stadium roof.

Matthew Mott's side are the first team through to the last four thanks to their significant net run-rate advantage over West Indies and South Africa, who meet later on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Firing on all cylinders

Jordan became the eighth player to take a hat-trick of wickets at the T20 World Cup, but he also broke a record out in the field; he now has the most catches by a fielder (47) in T20Is for England, overtaking Eoin Morgan's 46.

Buttler got his first half-century of the tournament in this match, and scored 32 of his 83 runs in a single over, scoring five sixes in the ninth before getting another at the start of the 10th to seal the win for England.

Jos Buttler has praised Jofra Archer upon his return to international cricket at the 2024 T20 World Cup. 

Archer spent over a year on the sidelines nursing an elbow injury following a recurrence of a stress fracture that ruled him out of summer cricket 12 months ago.

The 29-year-old has taken five wickets for Matthew Molt's side, the latest coming in their 41-run triumph over Namibia as they progressed to the Super 8 stage following Australia's win over Scotland. 

"We were in and out looking at the weather and Jofra was asleep on the bench - he's in a really good place," said Buttler.

"I’m just delighted to see him back in an England shirt playing on the big stage."

Archer's struggles with injury have persisted for the last three years, missing England's 2023 Ashes series against the Aussies. 

The fast bowler played a pivotal role in Three Lions' ODI World Cup success in 2019, and has recaptured that form which saw him take 20 wickets during that tournament.

Archer has captured a wicket in each of England's World Cup fixtures, averaging an economy rate of 5.91, only bettered by Reece Topley (3.60). 

Buttler has been impressed with the 29-year-old's form in the opening stages of the tournament, but revealed his progress has exceeded his expectations. 

"He’s been fantastic and is an amazing guy to have in the team to throw the ball to," said Buttler.

"He’s exceeded certainly my expectations for where he would be at. He was probably expecting that of himself."

Jos Buttler saluted England's performance in their must-win game against Oman, but acknowledged "we are still in the same position" at the T20 World Cup.

After their opening match against Scotland was rained off, defeat by Australia left the reigning champions requiring victories from their final two Group B outings - and a boosted net run-rate to keep their title defence alive.

Buttler's side were on a mission against Oman, who they dismissed for just 47 with 101 balls remaining - setting a new World Cup record in the process - before taking just 19 balls to successfully chase down that target.

England must now beat Namibia in their final group game on Saturday - while hoping Australia beat Scotland the following day - to book their place in the Super 8s.

"It was a really good performance," Buttler said. "We have had some really good training sessions and spoke about how we need to stay true to ourselves, and trust we have got really good players.

"We spoke about needing to win two games of cricket and, if we had the chance to affect the net run-rate, that would be important.

"The tone was set really well by the bowlers, and they managed to pick up those early wickets, restrict them, and knock them off.

"We told [the batters] then to be ultra-positive. We spoke in the lead-up to this. We have to win games and if we get a chance, we have to take advantage with the net run-rate.

"We have lots of confidence in our team, and we have another big game to come. We are still in the same position. We still have a must-win game on Saturday."

Joe Root has no doubts over Jos Buttler's England captaincy, backing the white-ball skipper to continue despite T20 World Cup struggles.

Matthew Mott's side are on the brink of an early elimination this month, with their 20-over title defence seemingly crumbling without escaping the group stage.

England struggled before rain washed out their opener with Scotland, who are the favourites to progress after Australia overcame Buttler's side on Saturday.

The defending champions must beat Oman and Namibia, while needing Australia to overcome Scotland by a less-than-narrow margin to have any hopes of going through on net run-rate.

That has brought questions over Buttler's tenure as England captain, though Root placed his backing in the 33-year-old, a former international team-mate and good friend of his.

"Jos is one of my good friends," the England Test star said. "I think he's a brilliant captain, so I don't think there's any question.

"I think they'll be absolutely fine, they've got a wonderful squad of players. They know exactly what they need to do.

"When it's all laid out and they've got their backs to the wall, which they have in this situation now, is when they play their best cricket.

"It could really bring the best out of them, so I've got no worries whatsoever.

"If they go out and do what they all know that they're capable of doing, we'll be finding ourselves in the Super 8s and the back-end of the tournament where it really matters to play our best stuff."

England face Oman on Thursday before meeting Namibia on Saturday, when Scotland go against Australia later in the day, boasting the advantage of knowing what result is required to progress.

That is on the minds of Australian players, too, with bowler Josh Hazlewood weighing up the options of helping send England out of the competition.

England coach Mott hopes the Australia quick's comments were in jest, though matters could be out of his side's hands come the weekend in the United States and West Indies.

England must "earn the right" to start thinking about T20 World Cup permutations, says Jos Buttler, whose side face a humiliating early exit in the group stage.

Matthew Mott's white-ball  were defeated by Australia on Saturday, with their 36-run loss leaving them staring at a group-stage elimination in their T20I title defence.

That result was compounded by Scotland's thrashing of Oman with 41 balls to spare as England suffered another blow to their hopes of progressing via net run-rate.

Another must-win match against Oman looms on Thursday, where England have to triumph before any other calculations of permutations can begin, says captain Buttler.

"I don't think it's s**t or bust quite yet," Buttler told reporters in Antigua. "I think it's quite clear what we need to do and how we need to play.

"First and foremost, we need to win the game against Oman to have any chance going forward into the next one.

"So we have to earn the right to try and win the game. And if we can get ourselves in a position to affect our net run-rate, obviously that's what we need to do."

England then face Namibia on Saturday to round off their group-stage campaign, though two victories for Buttler's side may still not be enough.

Scotland could still knock them out by beating Australia in their final match after England meet Namibia, when the Scots will have an advantage of a clear picture of what is required.

"We've looked at a few little bits but it's going to be ever-changing throughout the game," Buttler added.

"I don't think we need to consume too much energy today and tomorrow saying 'we need to score 'X' amount of runs or win by this much'. I think those kinds of things will develop on the day.

"That's the situation we find ourselves in, so we have to be aware of that, but not be consumed by that.

"If we try and do that bit first and forget about trying to win the game and lose, then you've got no chance anyway.

"So I'd rather have some kind of chance going into the last game, and know exactly what we need to."

England's white-ball struggles at the tournament have raised questions about Buttler's captaincy and coach Mott's tenure.

Buttler has no interest in the speculation surrounding his stewardship, however.

"I care more about the team than the media and the outside noise," he added. "That's always there, it's part of international sport. If you get to this level, you have to be able to deal with it, the job you guys do, that's the job TV does.

"It's probably harder to completely ignore it in this day and age, but there's a level of acceptance. Our focus has to be on what we can do with our performance.

"I've played the game long enough now to know that it's very good at building people up and pretty good at criticising when it doesn't go right, especially in England.

"I do the same thing when I'm watching a game of football or rugby – 'how's he missed that from there?' 'How did he miss from one-yard out', or 'someone's dropped the ball over the line'. Simple things like that.

"People care. That's why we're able to do what we do because people care and they want to watch. We're a proud team, we want to perform really well for all the fans.

"But to be honest, all the focus is on us and how well we can play. If we play as well as we can, we'll make our fans happy."

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