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Ahead of the all-important clash against Afghanistan in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 encounter at Lahore on Wednesday, former England opener Nick Knight opined that the Three Lions are not getting the best out of skipper Jos Buttler as he is batting at the number 6.
Buttler scored just 23 runs from 21 balls at a strike rate of 109.52 which was laced with one boundary and maximum each in his innings against Australia in the national side's opening game of the ongoing marquee event "I have really strong feelings about this. Jos Buttler, for me, is not taking enough part in the construction of an innings. He's one of the best in the world, simple as that, let alone one of the best in the team. He's the best player. With your best player, you want them to play as much of a role within the outcome of the innings as possible," Knight said on ESPNcricinfo's Matchday show. Further, the former left-hand batter said that the English side made the mistake of sending Harry Brook when the partnership was broken between Ben Duckett and Joe Root in the first match. "I thought England made an error in the last game when they had that partnership broken between [Joe] Root and [Ben] Duckett and they brought in Harry Brook. Harry Brook is a very fine player but is a little bit out of touch at the moment. I personally would have just sent Buttler in. As soon as it ticks over to 20-25 overs, Buttler's in next... Be flexible with your batting line-up, get your best player in," the 55-year-old added. England and Afghanistan will face each other in a must-win match at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium in the eighth game of the ongoing tournament. Both teams are in a do-or-die situation, as the loser will be eliminated from the tournament. Afghanistan lost their opening match to South Africa, while England failed to defend a big total against Australia. With the Australia-South Africa match ending in a washout, this encounter effectively becomes a knockout game. The match sets up an exciting battle between England's powerful batting lineup and Afghanistan's skilled spinners. (ANI)
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