England’s Jos Buttler (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil) Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison has questioned whether Jos Buttler still has the motivation to continue in international cricket after a disappointing campaign at the 2026 Men’s World T20 Cup.England’s tournament came to an end on Thursday when the England cricket team lost a thrilling semi-final against the Indian national cricket team by seven runs at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. England, led by Harry Brooke, fought hard in the chase but ultimately fell short.
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Buttler endured a particularly tough tournament. In eight matches, the right-handed opener managed just 87 runs and struggled to find a rhythm at the crease. In the semi-finals, he tried to attack his way out of the slump but was eventually eliminated by Varun Chakaravarthy. The England star finished the competition without a single half-century and failed to secure strong starts at the top of the order.After England’s elimination, Harmison said Buttler now had to think about his future in the national team.“He needs to look in the mirror and say, ‘Do I really want to continue playing international cricket? If he says, ‘I do’, then he will continue to play for me. It’s just whether the ups and downs have affected that. I think Jos deserves the right to think, ‘Do I have one more cycle in me to get to the next tournament on TalkS Harmison?'” Harmison said.“Only Jos can answer that and he should be allowed to. But I’m just looking at Jos and I’m not sure he’s enjoying playing cricket for England at the moment,” he added.Harmison also suggested that if the passion for the game fades, Buttler may have to consider stepping aside and allow the next generation to take over.“If the candle is just flickering and not quite there, which doesn’t seem to be a factor in the enjoyment of the last year or so, then maybe it’s time for Jos to say, ‘I’ve given my time, I’ve given everything for England, I’ve been England’s best white-ball player and now it’s time for someone else to take over,'” Harmison said.Despite his recent struggles, Buttler remains one of England’s most decorated white-ball players. He played a key role in England’s triumphs in the 2019 Cricket World Cup and the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup.The wicket-keeper batsman is also England’s most capped player across formats with 411 international appearances and is the nation’s highest run-scorer in T20 internationals with 4,037 runs. It remains to be seen if he decides to continue his career with the 2027 Cricket World Cup to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
