Jos Buttler is leaving the definition of England’s white-ball cricket legacy to others as he and his teammates prepare for what could be their final ODI campaign. The likes of Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, and Chris Woakes played pivotal roles in transforming England from underachievers to the first men’s team to hold both limited-overs World Cups concurrently.

As England’s 15-member squad gears up to defend their 50-over crown in India, this tournament might serve as a farewell to several players from the class of 2019. Winning another World Cup would elevate this England side to the status of one of the finest limited-overs teams in history. However, Buttler emphasized that they are not overly concerned about creating a lasting legacy. According to England’s white-ball captain, “I feel like legacy is defined by others

Between the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, England played 88 ODIs, completely revolutionizing their approach to the format. However, since their memorable Lord’s triumph in 2019, they have played only 43 ODIs. In this period, they often had to cope without their key players, as Test and T20 cricket took precedence.

Players like Joe Root and Ben Stokes, who were crucial to England’s ODI success, have been limited to 19 and 13 50-over matches respectively since the 2019 World Cup final. Buttler reflected on the stark contrast, stating, “Four years ago felt very different. There was nothing in the way of that, and being a home World Cup, I think there were different pressures of being the favorites which we embraced.”

In summary, Jos Buttler and the England white-ball team are focused on the upcoming World Cup rather than worrying about their legacy, leaving it to others to define their place in cricket history. They recognize the unique challenges and opportunities that this tournament presents as they seek to defend their 50-over crown in India.