Stokes lauds England new legacy under Butler captaincy

With Eoin Morgan now retired as England captain until their Lord triumph in 2019, Stokes told Sky Sports Buttler has put his own stamp on the team.

“When the great man stepped down and José took over, you saw how quickly he was able to take control of the team and build on the legacy Morgan left behind,” said Stokes. “Jos has now created his own legacy.

“He’s someone everyone on the pitch follows and shouldn’t be underestimated how difficult it is to make tactical decisions under pressure in this format.”

Adil Rashid’s first goal, with a brilliant catch and throw to knock out Babar Azam in the 12th round in Pakistan, was also a major turning point as he won 2 for 22.

“Fair Rashid, Sam Curran, we won the game with that,” said Stokes. “It’s a difficult goal, you’ve never felt it before.

“When you’re chasing totals in a game like this, you often forget the hard work put in. The way Sam and Rush and all the bowlers play to limit them… I think that’s a big reason why we don’t feel too much pressure on the chase.

“I never felt it was out of our control and [I was] just trying to make sure that I ended up holding out as long as possible.”

Both Stokes and Buttler identified England’s loss to Ireland in the rain-soaked group stage as another turning point in the context of the tournament.

“Because it’s so early in the competition, obviously we have to look at it, say what we say and then let it go because you can’t carry luggage in tournaments,” Stokes said.

“It was a small lump. Congratulations to Ireland for showing up and beating us but the best teams learn from their mistakes, take it on their chin but never let it get to them and let it go, move on to the next challenge. I feel we overcame all the challenges that were put to us during the tournament.”

Buttler was pleased with his team’s improvement after that game and hopes to reach 50+ World Cup victories with this latest title.

“The game against Ireland was very difficult for the team but we improved, we got better, we reached our peak at the right time and now I think we are well-deserved champions,” Butler said.

“The fact that I can now win the T20 World Cup makes me very proud of everyone here. It’s been a long road and there have been some changes in the way we played in recent years, but we’re reaping the rewards.

“It feels long after the Irish game here, but the character we’ve shown in competitive play since then has always been incredible.”

Once again without Mark Wood and David Malan, who also missed the semi-finals through injury, England showed their strength.

“It certainly wasn’t easy at all and we got away with a good start that controlled the run,” said Butler. “We also pressed too deep, which gave us a lot of chances. And that guy again, Ben Stokes, ended up there.

“He’s a major competitor in everything he does. He also has a lot of experience to rely on.

Matthew Mott, who took over as England whites coach in May and has now led the Australian women’s team and England men’s team to two World Cups in one year and three in two years, praised Stokes’ performance.

“If there’s someone you want out there I think it’s him and I think he’s taken a bit of a hit in this T20 tournament, but he’s a match-winner of any format and we have a lot of faith in them. deliver well tonight,” said Mott.

Mott also paid tribute to Morgan, who retired from international cricket in June after struggling to run during England’s tour of the Netherlands earlier this month.

“I’m also paying off Morg’s credits,” Mott added. “On the first Dutch tour we’ve done before, he told me how the band worked and how he thought it could work in the future.

“He set it up and I knew he wanted Jos to do well and it was a very smooth transition. I think Jos was there, he captained the last game there. I think it really helps set things up. ”

Since then, England failed to win the white ball series at home before beating Pakistan 4-3 and Australia 2-0 in the T20I series prior to this tournament. Buttler was injured for a Pakistan tour where Moeen Ali was the captain.

“I knew there would be teething,” Mott said. “If you lose a strong leader like Morgs who has been around for a long time, it will take time to build a team, but I always believe in great depth in our group of play.

“We have some players who can adapt and even when we didn’t win there I could see the true love for each other in that group… I always knew that if we stayed on track and didn’t panic, the results would change. “

“I think he’s learning all the time and so am I as a coach,” Mott added of Butler. “And to learn about our players. He just keeps getting stronger. He learned more about himself and our relationship was very good. Obviously Morgs’ legacy is quite strong, he’s built the team beautifully and I think Joss is also putting his own stamp on him now.”