England Captain Brook Backs Struggling Buttler Ahead of T20 WC Semifinal

The former England captain, at 35 years old, the oldest player in the pack and their most experienced player with 154 T20Is and many matches in franchise cricket, was expected to be the main batter for the two-time World Champions.

Going into the all-important semifinal encounter with hosts India at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, England captain Harry Brook said they are not worried about Buttler's form, and he and the England team management usually like to allow him to do his thing and do not tender any advice or suggestions.

"Yeah, you don't have to talk to him too much. I think leaving him alone is probably the best thing to do. He's been a powerhouse of a cricketer for many years, as we've all seen. I've been asked this question thousands of times now, and I just think there should be no reason to question why he's in the team," said Brook on the eve of the semifinal clash.

Buttler has played at the Wankhede on more than a dozen occasions in his stints with various franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He will be one batter that the Indian team will be wary of in Thursday's semifinal because of his vast experience and familiarity with the conditions. Buttler has been struggling for form in recent months and has managed scores in the 20s in England's last three matches in the series against Sri Lanka ahead of the World Cup.

Asked about his opinion of the Wankhede Stadium pitch for the semifinal, Brook said he will have a chat with coach Brandon McCullum, and they will see the stats and take a call on what to do if he wins the toss.

"I don't know. You're asking the wrong man. I don't know anything about wickets. I'll have a chat with Baz tonight and tomorrow before the game. We'll have a look at the stats and see what to do first if we win the toss," said the England captain.

Though he is leading for the first time in the T20 World Cup, Brook has managed his squad well as England have lost only one match in seven matches, to West Indies in the league phase, and has made a lot of tactical calls like giving the ball to Will Jacks.

"We obviously get a lot of stats, we've got a lot of videos, we can see where the batters are trying to hit the ball, we know the wagon wheels and what not, we know the match-ups, it's just about trying to fiddle the bowlers to make sure that it's uncomfortable for their batters for as long as possible really. They're obviously a very good side, and they can adapt to different bowlers, but my job is to try and make it as uncomfortable for them as possible," said Brook.

- IANS