“I want to be someone who can bat for 35-40 overs and get big hundreds”
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has announced that he is sick and tired of people talking about how good of a player he can become.
With the World Cup set to begin in five days, Buttler is determined to step up and show everyone what he is capable of doing.
“I don’t want to be someone who is talked about who could be a good player for England,” Buttler said. “It’s great to have potential and it’s great to have talent, but there comes a stage where you want to be someone that the media and commentators don’t talk like that. They talk about you being a performer for England. That’s a stage where you have to get to.”
Buttler pointed out that he is looking to follow in the footsteps of India batsman Virat Kohli, whose career has blossomed significantly over the last couple of years.
“Virat Kohli has played a lot more games, but he’s only 26,” Buttler said. “No-one talks about his potential because he performs at a stage which is the world’s best. I think age is irrelevant. It’s about performance.
“No-one is the finished article, Virat Kohli is nowhere near the finished article, but he performs at a level that is world’s best and that is what everyone aspires to get to as fast as they can.”
Since Buttler comes in lower down the order, his opportunities to go on and make big scores are very limited, which is exactly why he only boasts one ODI century as of right now.
Buttler is hoping that he will be moved up the order in the near future so that he has more time to construct an innings instead of having to score as many runs as he can in almost no time at all.
“I don’t really have (a favoured batting position),” he said. “Coming into the England set-up, the back-end of an innings is where I’ve had a lot of success, trying to close out innings with 10-15 overs to go. I think that is a good place for me to bat.
“I’m ambitious to score bigger scores and I don’t want to be pigeon-holed as someone who can only finish an innings. I want to be someone who can bat for 35-40 overs and get big hundreds. That’s my ambition and if I get a chance to do that at any point then it is down to me to try and take those opportunities.
“At the time you do what is required of you in the best place where the coach and captain see you in the team.”