Jos Buttler in the press conference (AP Photos)
The 2015 World Cup loss changed the way England aproached their white-ball cricket and it resulted in them winning the 2019 World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup. However, in the last three ICC tournaments, they have fallen apart and the latest setback in Champions Trophy 2025 has opened up the doors for introspection again.
The captain of the side generally is under the pump in such situations, and same is the case with Jos Buttler. England won the 2022 T20 World Cup under him, but have not been able to get the desired results after that, and he is likely to leave the captaincy or face the axe.
Thus, in this article, we would look at the three options who can replace him as England's white-ball skipper.
Harry Brook
Harry Brook is one of the rising stars in English cricket and though he has not been in great form in recent times, he is considered as the future. The 26-year-old captained England in the ODI series against Australia in 2024 and performed with the bat, scoring 312 runs in five innings at an average of 78 and strike-rate of 127.86.
He hit one century and two fifties, so he cherished the leadership responsibility when he got it, and it could help him deliver to his billing in the future. England won two out of the five games in that series and made a strong comeback after losing initial two matches.
Harry Brook's Batting Record As ODI Captain
| Criterion | Data |
|---|---|
| Innings | 5 |
| Runs | 312 |
| Average | 78 |
| 100/50s | 1/2 |
Brook's overall average in ODIs and T20Is is 34.65 and 28.50 respectively and he is the only young batter in the current English squad who is a regular and a relatively established cricketer. Also, he is a vice-captain of England in Champions Trophy 2025. Thus, given the age factor and potential for future, Brook seems to be the front-runner to take over captaincy from Buttler.
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Joe Root
England can also shift to Joe Root for a two-year-period till the 2027 World Cup in ODI cricket. He captained England in 64 Tests and though his leadership qualifities were not popular in the longest format, he could help England gauge the tough transition period in the next two years.
| Criterion | Data |
|---|---|
| Innings | 165 |
| Runs | 6822 |
| Average | 48.04 |
| 100/50s | 17/41 |
He is still very consistent and is going through a purple patch at the moment. In the ongoing Champions Trophy, he has one fifty and a century to his name, and enjoys respect from all the players. Joe Root has 6822 runs in 165 innings at an average of 48.04 with 17 hundreds and 41 fifties. Thus, he has the best record among all the players in the current squad and it makes him one of the worthy candidates to replace Buttler in ODI format.
Ben Duckett
The opening batter has been one of the shining lights for England in the last couple of years and has developed himself into an all-format player. He was in good form on the England tour, and started off Champions Trophy 2025 with a fantastic 165. He has been in the leadership group for quite a long time now and is an experienced cricketer who has played all over the globe in T20 leagues and other tournaments.
- Current Good Form
- Experienced Cricketer
Also, Ben Duckett has previously been the vice-captain of the England ODI side for the series against Ireland in 2023. He has captained in county cricket and Welsh Fire in the Hundred and all these coupled with his form and leadersip vaccum, and can prompt selectors to appoint him as their white-ball captain.
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