Josh Butler

Buttler was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to cricket.

In February 2019, during the fourth ODI of England's tour of the West Indies, Buttler scored a career-best 150 from 77 deliveries as England reached 418/6. During this innings, he hit 12 sixes, at the time the most by any English batsman in an ODI, and went from 51 to 100 in just 15 balls and from 100 to 150 in just 16 deliveries. This was part of an England world record for the most sixes in an ODI, with 24. Following the innings, West Indian batsman Chris Gayle praised Buttler, stating, "He is superb, one of the best strikers [of the ball] in world cricket today.  ... We can see he is a game-winner, a game-changer and every team needs a player like that to win games.", while England captain Eoin Morgan described him as "built like a champion racehorse".

In April 2019, he was named as the vice-captain of the England squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. The ICC named Buttler as the key player of England's squad prior to the tournament.

In July 2019, following England's World Cup success, the ECB named Buttler in the fourteen-man Test squad for the upcoming Ashes series.

Rajasthan Royals retained Buttler for the 2019 IPL season. In a match between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, Buttler was controversially run out on 69 by Indian bowler Ravichandran Ashwin via 'Mankading', an act that Ashwin was heavily criticised for. Former Australian bowler and Rajasthan mentor Shane Warne called the incident a "disgraceful and low act". This is the second instance in which Buttler has been dismissed in this fashion, the other occasion in an ODI match for England against Sri Lanka in 2014. In his next two matches for Rajasthan, he was dismissed for scores of just five and six but returned to form after hitting 59 from 43 balls in a fixture against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He also made a score of 89 from 43 deliveries against Mumbai Indians, hitting 28 runs off the 13th over.

As of June 2019, Buttler has scored five first-class and 11 List A centuries, nine of which have been scored for England in One Day International matches. He is yet to score a century in the T20 format of the game.

In limited overs cricket, Buttler's best List A and ODI score of 150 from 77 deliveries was made in February 2019 against the West Indies at the National Cricket Stadium, Grenada. This is also the highest ODI score for an Englishman against the West Indies. Buttler is yet to score a century in one-day matches in county cricket.

In May 2018, Buttler was recalled into England's Test squad to play Pakistan at Lord's later that month. He had a successful return to Test cricket, scoring two half-centuries and scoring the most runs in the series; he also won the Man of the Match award at Headingley.

In the subsequent ODI series against Australia in June 2018, he scored two half-centuries in the first four matches and then, in the fifth and final game of the series, he made 110 not out to take England to a historic series whitewash. In this match, no other English batsman made more than 20 and Buttler was afterwards described as "the best white-ball wicketkeeper batsman in the world". Buttler was named Man of the Match for his 110 not out, and also named Man of the Series for his impressive contributions with both bat and gloves. In the T20I match of Australia's tour, Buttler scored the fastest T20I half-century by an English cricketer, in 22 balls.

Buttler replaced James Anderson as the Test vice-captain on 31 July 2018, thus combining the role in all formats. He registered his maiden Test century in the third Test of India's tour of England in August 2018, with a score of 106. Buttler then retained his place in the Test and one-day squads, being selected to tour Sri Lanka in October and into the following year.

In January 2018, Buttler was bought by the Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 IPL auction for ₹ 4.4 crore (US$617,000). Buttler had a difficult start for the Royals, making a high score of just 29 in his first seven innings. However, on being promoted to open the batting mid-tournament, his performances significantly improved. He subsequently became only the second batsman in IPL history to achieve five scores of fifty or more in consecutive matches. He made an unbeaten 95 from 60 balls against Chennai Super Kings, his highest score in the T20 format to date.

Buttler again played for Sydney Thunder in the 2018–19 Big Bash League, this time alongside England teammate Joe Root. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) allowed Buttler and Root to play the first half of the season, despite a busy international schedule throughout 2019.

Buttler's highest T20 score of 95 not out from 60 balls was made for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 Indian Premier League at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. His highest T20I score is 73 not out off 49 balls, and was achieved against Sri Lanka in July 2016 at the Rose Bowl, Southampton.

Expecting to be left out of the 2017–18 Ashes series in Australia, Buttler signed a two-year contract in August 2017 with Comilla Victorians to appear in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He made his BPL debut in November 2017, scoring 48 runs from 42 balls in his second match for Comilla and recorded his first BPL half-century in his third match.

In November 2017, Buttler was signed as an overseas player for Sydney Thunder for the upcoming Big Bash League season. He played in the first six games for Thunder before joining the England squad for the limited-over fixtures of England's tour of Australia. He scored 67 and 81 in separate games against Hobart Hurricanes, being named Player of the Match in the first fixture.

In October 2017, Buttler married Louise Webber. England teammates Steven Finn and Alex Hales acted as ushers for the wedding. Their daughter, Georgia Rose, was born in April 2019.

He extended his stay with Lancashire, announcing a new three-year contract on 27 May 2016.

Buttler again played for England in the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 and was a regular fixture in the limited-overs squad throughout the year. He scored an unbeaten 90 runs against Pakistan as part of an England record score of 444/3, the fastest half-century by an Englishman. Both records have since been surpassed.

Buttler captained the England side in the ODI series against Bangladesh in October 2016 after numerous players, including regular captain Eoin Morgan, declined to tour over raised security concerns following a terrorist attack in Dhaka in July. In the second ODI, there was some controversy as Buttler was involved in a heated exchange with numerous Bangladesh players following his dismissal to Taskin Ahmed. Buttler, aggravated by the opposition's excessive celebrations, turned to confront them, resulting in him being ushered away by the umpires. Following the incident, Buttler was reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and received one demerit point to his disciplinary record, while Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza and Sabbir Rahman were each fined 20% of their match fees and given a demerit point.

Buttler was again reserve wicket-keeper for the Test series against Bangladesh. He returned to the England Test side for the third Test against India in November, playing in the final three Tests of the series. He continued as a regular in the limited-overs side throughout 2016 and 2017, playing again for England in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, but was unable to break back into the Test side and was not selected for the 2017–18 Ashes series in Australia. He was named in the ICC World ODI XI in 2016.

Buttler played for Mumbai Indians in the 2016 and 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons.

After playing for England in the Tri-series in Australia at the start of the year, Buttler was once again involved with England at an international tournament, playing in the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. He scored an unbeaten 39 in 19 balls against Sri Lanka and made 65 against Bangladesh but ultimately England lost both matches in a disastrous campaign, failing to progress beyond the group stages.

In the second ODI of the five-match series against Pakistan in May, Buttler scored an unbeaten 110 from 55 balls, his century coming in only 50 deliveries. This is the second fastest hundred by an English batsman in ODI cricket after his own record set against Pakistan in 2015.

Following Kieswetter's and Matt Prior's international retirements in 2015, Buttler became England's first-choice wicket-keeper in all formats. Whether he should play as a wicket-keeper or specialist batsman was questioned in middle of the 2015 season and Bairstow replaced him for the third ODI during Australia's 2015 tour due to Buttler's poor form with the bat throughout the Australian series. Bairstow eventually became the outright wicket-keeper for Tests in December 2015 for the series against South Africa, and Buttler was dropped from the Test side during 2016, whilst continuing to be the first-choice ODI and T20 wicket-keeper.

Buttler played again in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in March and played regular one-day cricket throughout the year. He scored his maiden ODI century against Sri Lanka at Lord's in May, scoring 121 in 61 balls with nine fours and four sixes, the then-fastest century by any England batsman. During the fifth ODI of the series at Edgbaston, Buttler was controversially 'Mankaded' by Sachithra Senanayake, leading to tension between the sides. England captain Alastair Cook expressed his disappointment, stating: "I've never seen it before in a game. I was pretty disappointed. If he was properly trying to steal the single then I could possibly understand it. But he was half a yard out of his crease.".

After first choice wicket-keeper Matt Prior stood down after injury on 22 July 2014, Buttler was called up for the England squad for the third Test against India. He made 85 runs from 83 balls in his first Test innings. He played in the final three Tests of the series before reverting to one-day duty, touring Sri Lanka at the end of the year.

Jos Buttler is like a rabbit caught in the headlights of Ashes cricket. A seven-year-old schoolboy would have played better. He hasn't made a run all series. He hasn't shown any application whatsoever. It looks to me like his mind and confidence is shot for Test cricket—it's pathetic.

At the end of September 2013, Lancashire announced they had signed Buttler. He scored 42 in his first Championship appearance for the county before compiling a "game-changing" innings of 72 on a difficult pitch at Northampton. This showcased Buttler's first-class batting potential and contributed to a record seventh wicket partnership for Lancashire against Northants. He scored his first century for Lancashire (his fourth in first-class cricket) in June against Durham before equalling the record for the fastest fifty scored in T20 cricket, hitting a half-century in 22 balls against Northants on his way to 58 not out in the 2014 NatWest t20 Blast. Lancashire finished runners-up of the T20 competition, losing to Warwickshire in the final. He played 10 first-class matches for Lancashire during the season and was called into the England Test side as wicket-keeper in July, replacing the injured Matt Prior, although doubts remained about the quality of his wicket-keeping.

Buttler replaced a rested Jonathan Trott in the England ODI squad in India in early 2013 and replaced Craig Kieswetter as the first-choice wicket-keeper halfway through the ODI series. This allowed Buttler to break into the England ODI side on a consistent basis, playing regularly throughout the year in both ODI and T20 formats and increasingly as a wicket-keeper, despite some reservations about the quality of his work behind the stumps. He scored his maiden half-century for England in a T20 warm-up match at the start of England's tour of New Zealand followed by his first T20I half-century in the second match of the series. After being confirmed as England's first-choice limited-overs wicket-keeper, he played in every match in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England. For his performances in 2013, he was named in the T20I XI by Cricinfo.

Buttler's first experience of franchise cricket came in 2013/14 when he played for Melbourne Renegades in the 2013–14 Big Bash League season in Australia. This coincided with the buildup to the England one-day side playing in Australia at the beginning of 2014 and followed him having been with the England development squad in Perth for a month prior to the start of the competition. Buttler was initially only expected to play for Melbourne in their first two matches of the competition but this was extended due to the late arrival of Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, who had been called into the Pakistan Test squad. After having scored a "stunning" 61 runs against Brisbane Heat in his third match, Buttler eventually played in five Big Bash matches for Melbourne before leaving to join the England squad.

Buttler's temperament in the longer forms of the game has been questioned at times as his career has developed. In 2013, he was out for 94 runs for Somerset while attempting to reach his century by hitting a six and George Dobell, writing for ESPNcricinfo, questioned "his ability to defend and deny [bowlers]". Dobell praised the first half of Buttler's innings, which ensured a draw for Somerset, saying that "it showed a young man responding to his team's needs with a restrained, mature performance that exhibited a decent defence and an ability to leave and play straight" and that he had "produced some of those trademark straight drives and several powerful pulls" but felt that "it is the strokes he does not play that are as relevant as those he does".

Despite not always being his county's first-choice wicket-keeper and reservations about the quality of his work behind the stumps, Buttler has frequently been used in that role by the England team since the beginning of 2013, especially in one-day cricket. He was installed in the wicket-keeper role ahead of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy after Craig Kieswetter faltered in terms of his batting – Buttler's one-day batting, his potential and his ability to combine power with improvisation being seen as more important than any failings as a wicket-keeper – despite, by his own admission, his "keeping [being] a work in progress". His wicket-keeping was "seen by some as having more potential" than his main rival for the job Jonny Bairstow and England wicket-keeper coach Bruce French spoke of his "natural hands" behind the stumps.

The 2012 season proved similarly productive for Buttler, and featured a "brilliant" half-century scored from 36 balls against Northamptonshire in the domestic 40 over competition, although increasing international call-ups limited his appearances for Somerset and Kieswetter remained the first-choice wicket-keeper for Somerset. The second County Championship match of the 2013 season saw Buttler score 94 runs playing as a specialist batsman and an injury to Kieswetter at the end of April provided an opportunity for Buttler to claim his place as wicket-keeper in the side. Somerset started the County Championship season poorly, but Buttler was praised for adopting a mature approach to his batting, averaging over 40 with the bat in the Championship at the midpoint of the season and enjoying his most productive first-class season to date. After missing county matches again due to international call-ups, Buttler saw Kieswetter return as wicket-keeper in some T20 county matches and began to publicly question his future at the club if he was not to keep wicket regularly for the one-day side. He delayed signing a new contract he had been offered, concerned that by not being the main wicket-keeper for Somerset that he would put his international wicket-keeping place in jeopardy, despite a strong emotional attachment to the county. Despite Somerset's desire to keep Buttler at the club, they were unable to reach an agreement which satisfied Buttler's desire to keep wicket, and at the end of the season he announced that he would be leaving Somerset with the aim of securing his international place and breaking into the England Test side.

Buttler continued to play regular T20 cricket for England throughout 2012. Against South Africa at Edgbaston, he joined Somerset teammate Craig Kieswetter with England on 64/3 with only 16 balls remaining. The pair gave "a brutal display of power hitting", raising the final score to 118/5, with Buttler hitting 30 runs from one 32-run over from Wayne Parnell, the second most productive over in International T20 at the time. The innings established Buttler as a key part of the England one-day side; he had made 10 appearances before the match but reached double figures only once in his six innings, and his performance made him "one of the most talked-about players" in the England side. Buttler spoke about how the innings made him feel "calmer, more myself, more relaxed" and he received an ECB incremental contract later in the same month. He was selected for the England squad for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20, playing in all five of England's matches in the competition, although he scored only 40 runs in his five innings.

His good form with the bat continued into 2011 as Somerset again reached the final of both the T20 and 40 over competitions, with Buttler top-scoring with a "mature" 86 runs from 72 balls in the 40 over final. In both 2010 and 2011 he was awarded the NBC Denis Compton Award as Somerset's most promising young player and made his full England debut at the end of the season.

Buttler was called into the senior England squad for the Twenty20 International (T20I) against the touring Indian team in September 2011. He made his debut for the side in the match as a specialist batsman before going on to play against the touring West Indies side later the same season. During the winter of 2011 he was part of the England performance programme for batting and wicket-keeping in India, and played in the England Lions tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, scoring his maiden limited-overs century against Sri Lanka A in January 2012. He played a T20I against India in Kolkata and then toured with England to play Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in early 2012, making his ODI debut, although he was out second ball without scoring.

When Craig Kieswetter was called up into the England one-day side in 2010, Buttler was given the chance of a prolonged run in Somerset's first team. Brian Rose, Somerset's Director of Cricket, chose not to bring in an experienced keeper to deputise, explaining that Kieswetter had been in a similar position three years earlier and that he had good reports of Buttler's ability. In his first match of the 2010 season, Buttler remained 22 not out at the close of Somerset's innings, posting his first runs in List A cricket, and he followed this up with two catches to help Somerset beat Glamorgan in their opening Clydesdale Bank 40 fixture.

Buttler was named Man of the Match in Somerset's 2010 Friends Provident T20 semi-final victory over Nottinghamshire at the Rose Bowl, reaching a "breathtaking" half-century from 21 balls to score an unbeaten 55 runs in a partnership of 75 with Kieron Pollard. His aggressive batting won him many plaudits and helped Somerset reach the final of the 2010 Clydesdale Bank 40 as well as the Twenty20 cup.

A tall and strongly-built cricketer, Buttler has an upright stance in the crease. During his maiden first-class century against Hampshire in 2010, he "hit the ball hard and straight", "moving his feet decisively, playing with his bat close to his body and selecting the right balls to attack". Buttler was praised for "remaining cool and composed at the crease" and for his "dogged determination and decent range of shots" during the innings. Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick suggested that Buttler could challenge teammate Craig Kieswetter's place in the England team.

In one day cricket, Buttler quickly established a reputation as an aggressive batsman who could take control of a game at the end of an innings. By the end of his first full-season he was producing "innings of huge promise" which were being described as "breathtaking" and "swashbuckling" and displaying "an array of explosive and innovative shots". Still a teenager, his displays in both 40 over and 20 over cricket in 2010 won him plaudits, including a description as a "supremely talented youngster" who batted with a "blend of power and sweet timing". His range of shots, including effective use of 'scoop' and 'ramp' shots over the wicket-keeper to fine leg and variations such as reverse and swivel scoop shots, mean that his game has been considered subtle rather than overly aggressive and his "stunning strokes", clean striking and "crispness when hitting" the ball along with his "audacity and adventure" have all been cited as making him an "exciting" batsman.

Buttler made his maiden first-class century in May 2010, scoring 144 for Somerset against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl, Southampton. As of December 2018 this remains his highest first-class score. His highest Test match score of 106 was made for England against India in August 2018 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

He made his first-class debut for Somerset in September 2009, replacing the injured Justin Langer for the County Championship match against Lancashire, scoring 30 in his only innings. He retained his place in the team for the following Pro40 match against Hampshire, making his List A debut, although he was not required to bat. Selected as part of the Somerset squad for the 2009 Champions League Twenty20, Buttler made his debut in the 20-over format of the game in Somerset's final match of the league stage, remaining six not out at the close of the innings. Buttler again captained King's in 2009, and in the seventeen matches under his leadership they lost only once, and also won the Western School Twenty20 competition. Coupled with his 554 runs for the school at an average of 61.55, and his performances for Somerset, he was named 2010 Young Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year.

In 2009, Buttler played four matches for England Under-18s, two each against Scotland A and Scotland Development XI. He scored 103 not out in the first of these matches, and made starts in each of the following matches, reaching double figures on each occasion, but not scoring higher than 28. Two months later, Buttler made his England Under-19 debut, appearing in the first T20 against Bangladesh Under-19s. Playing as a specialist batsman, he scored 33 runs off 17 balls as England won by five wickets.

During the 2009–10 English winter, Buttler toured with the England Under-19 team. He joined up with the squad in Bangladesh following Somerset's elimination from the Champions League Twenty20 for the seven-match youth One Day International (ODI) series, playing again as a specialist batsman. He failed to make a significant impact until the final match when he top-scored for England with 42 runs. He remained with the team for the Under-19 World Cup, where he played all but one of England's six matches, keeping wicket in three of them. He scored 91 runs in three innings, with a top-score of 78 against India in the fifth-place play-off semi-final. His batting average of 30.33 ranked him fifth on the England team.

Buttler enjoyed a prolific cricket record while at school, sharing a record-breaking opening partnership while at King's College, Taunton in 2008. The following season, his school lost only one of seventeen matches under his captaincy and he was named 2010 Young Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year. He made his Somerset first-team debut in 2009 after having played age-group cricket for the county. His performances led him to be selected to play for England at Under-19 level before he made his senior England debut in 2011 and his Test debut in 2014.

The highlight of his school career came in April 2008, when he scored 227 not out during a record-breaking opening stand in a 50-over national schools game, adding 340 with Alex Barrow. He captained King's during the 2008 season, and improved on his batting totals from the previous two years, scoring 851 runs, over 250 more than any other member of the team. His batting average of 94.55 was the sixth highest amongst all school's batsmen reported in Wisden, while his high-score of 227* was the highest score they recorded. During that 2008 season, Buttler also played for Somerset Second XI. With captain Carl Gazzard keeping wicket in the majority of these matches, Buttler played purely as a batsman, although in his final match of the season for the team, he kept wicket and took six catches in the first-innings against Worcestershire Second XI. In the previous match, against Hampshire Second XI, Buttler had made 140 batting from number four.

Buttler's first taste of international cricket came in July 2008, when he represented England Under-17s in two warm-up matches against New Zealand Under-19s. Batting at number five, he scored a rapid 77 not out in the 50-over contest, hitting 11 fours and two sixes during the 49 deliveries he faced. He also played in the two-day match between the two teams, scoring 45 in the first-innings as the match was drawn.

Buttler played extensively for Somerset's youth teams, appearing at Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 level. He made his senior club cricket debut for Cheddar before moving to Glastonbury in the 2006 season, aged just 15, taking three catches and 15 runs as wicket-keeper. Later in the same season, he made his first appearance for Somerset Second XI, scoring 71 in the second-innings, and taking six catches in the three-day match against Nottinghamshire Second XI. Playing for King's College, he finished the 2006 season with the school's leading batting average, scoring 447 runs at an average of 49.66. The following season he played regularly for Glastonbury in the West of England Premier League, and for Somerset Under-17s, for whom he scored two centuries; an unbeaten 119 during a two-day match against Surrey Under-17s, and 110 against Sussex Under-17s. He once again led the batting averages for King's College, with his 358 runs coming at 51.14.

Joseph Charles Buttler MBE (born 8 September 1990) is an English international cricketer who is currently vice-captain of the England cricket team in limited overs cricket. A right-handed batsman, he usually fields as a wicket-keeper and has represented England in Test, One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket. He served as vice-captain of the England squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup, becoming world champions for the first time in their history. He currently plays for Lancashire in English domestic cricket having previously played for Somerset. He also plays for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Buttler holds the record for the fastest ODI century by an England player and is regarded as one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the world. Buttler's ability to recognise and manipulate field placements of opposing teams and score all around the ground has seen him labelled as a "360-degree" cricketer.

Born in Taunton, Somerset on 8 September 1990, Buttler was educated at King's College, where he displayed his early talent in cricket.