IPL 2023: RR's Jos Buttler reveals why he is not miffed with commentators expressing their opinion
IPL 2023: Jos Buttler is one of the finest T20 players but is often at the receiving end of the commentators for his failures. However, he has revealed that he is not bothered by their criticisms, given that they are paid to do their jobs.
FollowFormer champion Rajasthan Royals (RR) and England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler says if a commentator criticises a player, he is only doing his job. That acceptance should be an integral part of any cricketer's career. "Acceptance is a big part of the job. Accepting that broadcaster pays someone to give their opinion, they are just doing their job. It is not a personal attack on me when they criticise me," Buttler told Humans of Bombay in an interview.
"And, I watch other sports. I watch football and go, 'oh, how did he miss that?! It was so easy'. That is exactly what people are doing when I drop a catch or go for a low score. I do the same thing without realising when I watch other sports. Just acceptance," Buttler added.
CATCH ALL IPL 2023 UPDATES HERE
The England white-ball skipper says he always wanted to be an all-format cricketer, and being unable to perform in Test cricket still bothers him. "My strengths have always been being better ODI and T20 player. I was desperate to become an all-format player and a very successful Test cricketer. I played a lot of Test cricket in the end but never quite performed to a level quite consistently that I felt I could have achieved, and that will always be a frustration. I always want to be one of the best players in the world," Buttler said.
Buttler, who captained England to their second ICC T20 World Cup win last year, named South African Jonty Rhodes and Australian legends Adam Gilchrist and Steve Waugh as his inspiration in his early days. "Jonty Rhodes was an early inspiration for me. I did not always keep wickets. I used to love fielding. The 1999 World Cup was in England, so I fondly remember watching some of those games. Adam Gilchrist was another wicketkeeper-batsman who changed the mode of keeper-batsman. I was excited to watch [him]. Steve Waugh, because Australia was so dominant that time when he was the captain," said the 32-year-old Buttler.
ALSO READ:Â IPL 2023 - GARY KIRSTEN REVEALS WHY GUJARAT TITANS HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TO DEFEND TOTALS
Buttler said joining Somerset at a young age paved the way for him to take up cricket as a career, but the England dream materialised much later. "From an early age, I watched Somerset often, my local county. I knew quite early that this [cricket] could be my career. Knowing that playing cricket for your career sounded like a good gig to me. Once I got into Somerset Academy at 13-14, that was a clear path to becoming a professional cricketer. I never really wavered from that one," adding that farming was another interest along with playing football.
"Getting selected for the Somerset Academy at around 13-14, it became a little more serious to me. My parents sent me to a private school at Taunton, known for its cricket, which is close to the Somerset cricket ground, so I could get the extra opportunity of being at the school and close to the county ground. For me, it was always about playing for Somerset. England came later when I got selected for under-17 and under-19," Buttler revealed.
Buttler said watching the support that Indian cricketers get even while playing away series was an eye-opener. "It is like nothing else how Indian players are adored and supported. The level of fame is incredible. The only thing that [I] can link it to is football in England. It is fascinating watching how they deal with it the media scrutiny. It is a privilege as well. Learned from the IPL how best players deal with, in a good way, the chaos around," he stated.
"Just watching (MS) Dhoni come out to bat that night [against RR in IPL 2023]. The crowd is so expectant. His demeanour is quite incredible for that sort of situation and external pressures. The travelling support India gets wherever they go, Craig Kieswetter, drove me to the Manchester ground [his debut] and watched throngs of Indian fans waiting for the team bus to arrive. It was an eye-opening, surreal experience," he continued.
Buttler said focusing on the upcoming ICC World Cup in India would be high only after the IPL [Indian Premier League]. Understanding how it felt to win a World Cup four years ago gives you the drive to do it again. India is one of the best places to play cricket. So, it is going to be huge. Once the IPL finishes, the attention will start to switch towards that. England has a strong talent pool. Our cricket has gone from strength to strength from 2015 onwards. We're a good team, a balanced side," he concluded.
