T20 World Cup 2026: England Captain Harry Brook breaks silence on Jos Buttler’s form ahead of India semi-final clash

England captain Harry Brook has backed senior batter Jos Buttler despite the latter’s lean run in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup. On the eve of England’s semi-final against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Brook stated that the team management has no doubts about Buttler’s place or ability.

Buttler’s form in the tournament has been underwhelming, with scores of 26, 21, 3, 3, 7, 2, and 0 far from the mark. The 35-year-old with over 150 T20Is to his name was seen to anchor England’s campaign.

However, his struggles have coincided with England putting in brilliant performances, winning five matches on the trot heading into the semi-final. Addressing concerns around Buttler’s form, Brook insisted that the best approach is to trust the veteran’s experience.

"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 at the pre-match press conference.

Don't think we need a perfect game to win the competition: Brook

While Buttler hasn’t fired, others have stepped up at moments. The former champions got past Pakistan by two wickets, defended a modest total against Sri Lanka, and defeated New Zealand thanks to a late finish. Despite criticism that England haven’t produced a perfect performance yet, Brook believes that is irrelevant. 

"I don't think we need a perfect game to win the competition, to be honest. Those games that we have won have been nowhere near perfect, and we still managed to get the wins - convincingly in some of them, and tight in some of them. But it's about the unity that we've had to be able to get across the line, and the belief that everybody's shown throughout these games, and the calmness that we've had when the bowlers have stood at the top of their marks," he added.