Are Matthew Mott and captain Jos Buttler’s careers in risk following England’s T20 World Cup exit? Buttler’s white-ball team is now preparing for the ICC Champions Trophy, which will be held in Pakistan in February. Will Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow be involved?

The T20 World Cup championship defence for England has come to a close, albeit a fairly dull one.

Jos Buttler’s team gave up to 103 all out in Thursday’s semi-final in Guyana, chasing 172 against undefeated India. To reach three digits, Jofra Archer’s late 21 off fifteen balls was required.

This tournament raises a number of problems even if it was not quite as upsetting as their 50-over World Cup championship defence in India last October, where they lost six of their first seven games and were eliminated in the group stage. mostly regarding the futures of Matthew Mott, the coach, and captain Buttler.

At the T20 World Cup, England only managed to defeat one of the four Test-playing countries they faced; their victory over the West Indies was sandwiched between defeats by Australia, South Africa, and India. They were also careless when playing Scotland prior to the rain coming in.

After the dust settles, we examine the potential future direction of England.

Will Mott and Buttler continue?

Speaking shortly after England’s loss to India, Buttler pledged to conduct a thorough evaluation of both the team’s playing style and personnel as they prepare for the next major ICC tournament, the 50-over Champions Trophy, which will be held in Pakistan in February 2025.

Though Buttler acknowledged that he had “not thought past today” in terms of his future plans, the atmosphere did not suggest that he was a man looking to quit his work. If done correctly, the evaluation will determine if Buttler and Mott are the best candidates to lead England into the future.

The T20 World Cup in the Caribbean did not repeat the long list of terrible mistakes from the previous 50-over World Cup, such as choosing to field first against South Africa in the intense heat in Mumbai. That being said, mistakes were nonetheless made.

Arguably, one of them was choosing to bowl first against India on a slow Guyana wicket that became increasingly challenging to bat on.

It was difficult not to believe that England had erred when they crumbled batting second against a top-notch assault on the kind of surface that typically gives them trouble.

Which players will be crucial for England going forward?

Whether he is captain or not, Buttler—possibly the greatest white-ball hitter in the world on his day—will be an important player, batting at the top of the T20 order and in the middle of the 50-over cricket order.

While Phil Salt, the opening partner for T20 cricket, can probably look forward to starting innings in the Champions Trophy early in the next year, Jacks, Liam Livingstone, and Brook—who can be a bit of a peripheral figure down the order—may also be here to stay.

With Test skipper Ben Stokes citing “building my bowling fitness back up to fulfil a full role as an all-rounder in all formats of cricket” as his reason for missing the T20 World Cup, Joe Root will undoubtedly return to his position as the number three in 50-over cricket. England will be hoping Stokes can make a comeback as well. His run-chase acumen versus India was missed.

Other batting names to watch out for are Sam Warwickshire, Jamie Smith of Surrey, Crawley, and Pope.

Whose time is it, exactly?

Chris Jordan, the legendary fielder, turned 36 in October, and it’s possible that this was his last game for England. He is a T20 specialist; the next short-form World Cup is in 2026, and his last ODI was in 2022.

The newly 37-year-old Moeen Ali has already left the Test game and has hinted that he may be done playing 50-over international cricket. His lazy left-handed cover drives and spin bowling will be missed if this is the end.

Likewise, his keen sense of humor will.

Then Jonny Bairstow appears. A man who, over his whole international career, seems to have been fighting for his spot. The 34-year-old has frequently prevailed in this struggle, but he might not this time around given his lackluster performances at this World Cup.

Bairstow is struggling on multiple fronts, with his Test place also in doubt following a poor series versus India. Maybe Bairstow can prolong his England career if he is kept off the red-ball team and allowed to concentrate just on the white-ball game.

His international career, like England’s T20 World Cup title defense, may be coming to an end, though.