3 reasons why Jos Buttler should not open for England despite 2023 World Cup struggles

Defending World Champions England are on the brink of elimination from the ongoing World Cup, and their captain, Jos Buttler, has failed miserably with the bat so far.

Despite being the defending World champions in both ODIs and T20Is, England has failed to impress in this showpiece event, having lost 4 out of their 5 games so far.

Buttler, who is undoubtedly the greatest white-ball batter produced by England, has been woefully out of touch, and nothing seems to gel for England at this stage.

There were several cricket pundits suggesting Buttler open the innings in his lean phase, which might turn England's fortunes around.

Former England skipper Geoffrey Boycott has stated that Buttler has to open the innings or bat in the top 4 for England to have any chance of making a turnaround.

"Why would you have him batting at six, sitting in the pavilion watching guys who aren’t as good as him using up a lot of overs? Jos has to open or not bat lower than four. He opens for England in T20 and for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL T20,” wrote Boycott in his column for the Telegraph.

England have an uphill task ahead, as they are slated to play the only undefeated team in the competition, India, in their next fixture at Lucknow on Sunday. Even four wins from the last four matches don't guarantee them a spot in the semi-final.

Should Buttler open the innings, or should he stick to his familiar No. 6 or No. 7 position in the longer version of the white-ball format?

Let us now decipher three reasons why Buttler shouldn't open the innings for England in the remaining matches of the World Cup:

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#1 The set opening combination is doing pretty well

Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan, the two designated openers for the World Cup, have gotten their team off to blistering starts and have contributed in all five matches so far. The problem lies with the middle order, with none of the experienced batters scoring runs.

Malan scored a brilliant century during England's only win against Bangladesh, while Bairstow chipped in with a half-century against Sri Lanka and looked in good touch.

Buttler could consider sending himself up the order, but opening might not be the best idea as the World Cup reaches its business end.

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#2 Lack of a designated finisher

Over the years, Jos has taken up the mantle of being the finisher for England in the white ball format. While he has just scored 95 runs in his 5 outings, the last 15-20 overs could be the stage where Buttler can express himself the most.

He has scored 3132 runs, coming in at No. 6 and No. 7, and has scored runs at an impressive strike rate. He has the ability to tear apart any bowling attack, and given England's condition in the tournament at the moment, he should stick to his designated finisher's role.

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#3 Buttler has never opened the innings for England in ODIs

Despite all the talks of sending the swashbuckling wicketkeeper batter to the top of the batting order, it must be noted that he is yet to open the innings for England in the fifty-over format.

Given the conditions in which England finds themselves, it might not be the best idea to put someone up the order who has been struggling for runs all through the World Cup.

While he has been a revelation in the shortest format, his lack of experience at the top of the order in ODIs might force the team management to allow him to play in the middle or the lower middle order.