Mumbai, Feb 20 (IANS) England captain Jos Buttler has dismissed suggestions that he should curb his natural game to overcome his lean patch in the ongoing T20 World Cup, insisting he will not bat merely to occupy the crease at the expense of the team’s needs.

Buttler, widely regarded as England’s finest white-ball batter, is enduring a difficult run of form, having failed to register a half-century in his last 14 international innings across ODIs and T20Is with a highest score of 39.

“T20 is one of those games that asks you to keep making plays. There are times when you’ve maybe been out of form in a Test match with the batting coach, who might say ‘just rein it in for a bit and try to bat for an hour and it will come back to you’. So by hook or by crook, bat for an hour. But in T20s, you’ve got to keep playing the scoreboard; if you’re chasing 10 in an over you’ve got to play accordingly.

“I saw Nasser say, ‘just bat for 15 overs,’ and I would love to just bat for 15 overs but I don’t want to bat for 15 overs just for myself and ignore the game. You’ve got to still play the game,” Buttler said on the ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast.

Buttler managed to score just 26 and 21 against Nepal and the West Indies in Mumbai and then two scores of three in Kolkata against Scotland and Italy in the T20 World Cup group games as England moved into the Super 8 stage.

“A bit frustrating so far, the game just keeps challenging you, no matter what stage of your career you’re at, there’s always something challenging you. I’ve been through lots of patches of poor form over 15 years in all different formats; it’s always the same things you come back to at the end, which is stand still, watch the ball and trust yourself,” he added.

The former captain also said that he will not change his batting order and face the challenge by himself.

“The only person who can score my runs is myself. I’m not going to score them by hiding away or sending anyone else out; I’ve got to put my own shirt on, mark the middle, and off we go again. It always comes back at some point, so looking forward to the next opportunity.”

Buttler also showered his love for Mumbai, where England played their first two World Cup matches. “Mumbai, I think, is a city I really enjoy. There are some really good restaurants to get out to. There’s lots going on. It’s obviously busy and hectic, but that’s all part of the fun of India,” he said.

England’s star was also impressed with the performance of the associate nations in the World Cup. “The associate sides have played brilliantly. I’m sure they all feel like they’ve got nothing to lose. They’re looking for that giant-killing kind of performance, and sides have come really close.”

England have qualified for the Super 8 stage, where they will play all their matches in Sri Lanka. The two-time champions will start their Super8s round by taking out co-hosts Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Stadium on Sunday.

–IANS

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