Will England's Buttler lose captaincy after Champions Trophy exit?

England's white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, has said he will hold discussions with team management about his future after England's elimination from the ICC Champions Trophy following a dramatic loss to Afghanistan.

Wednesday’s defeat in Lahore marked England’s second consecutive loss in the tournament, sealing their group-stage exit. Afghanistan’s victory was their second upset against England, following their famous win in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

Under Buttler’s leadership, England has now failed to progress beyond the group stage in two of the last three ICC tournaments.

"I think the results are not where they need to be, and I need to consider all possibilities to get us where England cricket should be in the white-ball format," Buttler told reporters. "I need to work out personally whether I am part of the problem or part of the solution."

When asked if he would reassess his role as captain, Buttler admitted: "Yes. As I said, I won’t make any emotional decisions right here, right now." He added that he would take time to reflect, while the decision ultimately lay with the team’s higher management.

Since leading England to the T20 World Cup title in 2022, Buttler has struggled to replicate success. England finished their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign with just three wins in nine matches, suffered a semi-final exit in last year's T20 World Cup, and recently endured a 3-0 ODI series whitewash in India.

Despite the challenges, Buttler maintained that he still enjoys leading the side. "Many people think it doesn’t sit well with me being captain, but I enjoy leading. Even before I was captain, I saw myself as a leader in the team. But results are tough, and they weigh heavy at times."

England’s latest defeat came despite Joe Root scoring a valiant 120 in pursuit of Afghanistan’s 326-run target. England fell short at 317 all out, confirming their elimination.

"That’s been a familiar theme," Buttler acknowledged. "A confident team would have got over the line. It’s up to us, as individuals and as a team, to find ways to get where we need to be."

England will face South Africa in their final group match in Karachi on Saturday.