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. (More Cricket News)

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."