England

A hard-hitting batsman and a wicket-keeper, Jos Buttler, is seen as a player who has everything to succeed in the shorter formats of the game. His introduction to competitive cricket came at an early age and he represented Somerset’s youth teams at the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 levels. He was a prolific run-scorer in school and junior cricket, and his consistent batting helped him come through the ranks quickly. He soon represented Somerset’s second XI and was seen as a good prospect for the shorter formats.

His First-Class debut came in the 2009 season when he replaced the injured Justin Langer. Though he failed to seal his spot in the First-Class side, his performances in the other formats earned him a call-up to the Somerset limited overs squad. With regular wicket-keeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter selected to play for England, Buttler got an extended run in the Somerset team and he made the most of it, where he scored 440 runs at an average of 55 in the CB40 series. His terrific form and ability saw him retain his spot in the eleven even after the return of Kieswetter to the Somerset line-up.

Buttler then, was named as Young Wisden School Cricketer of the Year in 2010. In 2011, Buttler was selected in the T20 squad to face India and West Indies at home. He did not get to bat in his first two games and managed only 13 runs when he got his chance in the second match against West Indies.

After a successful tour against Sri Lanka for the England Lions in early 2012, Buttler made his ODI debut against Pakistan in the UAE. He then replaced Kieswetter as England’s limited-overs wicket-keeper and hit his first international fifty against New Zealand in a T20I. He also played a crucial role in England’s Champions Trophy campaign in 2013. He continued performing well in the ODI series against Australia, both at home and Down Under.

Buttler played a key role in England’s tour to West Indies, scoring an aggressive 99 in the third ODI, which helped England post a mammoth total and secure a series win. He continued his rich vein of form in the T20s, however, England lost the series. He was also part of England’s World T20 campaign in Bangladesh. The wicket-keeper batsman has grown in stature ever since he was given a consistent run by the selectors. In the ODI series against Sri Lanka at home, Buttler scored his maiden ODI ton off just 61 balls, it is the fastest hundred by an England batsman. When Matt Prior stepped down from the Test side after the loss to India at Lord’s, Buttler was drafted in and handed a debut in Southampton. He scored 85 in his very first Test.

Like England, Buttler had a rather modest time during the 2015 World Cup, his only score of significance coming against Bangladesh – in a match that England shockingly lost and were dumped out of the tournament even before the quarterfinal stage. Buttler has since then become a vital cog in England’s One Day plans, consistently scoring runs at a good pace. His runs came at a brisk pace and England suddenly became the team to beat in the shorter formats of the game. Quick with his hands and an ability to find gaps in the field, Buttler’s multi-dimensional batting won him a massive contract with the Mumbai Indians – before the 2016 Indian Premier League auctions. While his run was smooth in the shorter formats of the game, Buttler seemed to have regressed in Tests. He didn’t feature in whites for England until the very end of 2016 when his ability to play spin won him a place in the England squad for the Tests in Bangladesh and India.

Buttler got his chance during the India leg and promptly responded with a fine 76. Since his Test debut, though, Buttler hasn’t quite managed to seal a place for himself in red-ball cricket, although he continues to be a part of the squad, playing as a specialist batsman. But come the limited-overs cricket, Buttler is an important cog in the wheel, coming lower down the order to accelerate run-scoring in the death overs. And he does that successfully more often than not for England.

After a few sensational years, 2017 was a rather middling one for Buttler. Runs didn’t quite flow for him although there were a lot of times when the situation demanded instant hitting. That didn’t quite come off consistently for him in the year. You could say that Buttler could bat higher up the order in ODIs, but in a way, the entire situation also puts into perspective the luxuries England have as a limited-overs side nowadays, quite in contrast to the World Cup 2015 in Australia.