London: England’s T20I and ODI wicketkeeper Jos Buttler is aiming to earn a regular place in his national team’s Test side, and has praised IPL and Mumbai Indians’ (MI) mentor Ricky Ponting for the valuable lessons.
Despite MI not having the greatest of IPL’s, Buttler was content with his own performance. The Lancashire Lightning keeper-batsman made a rapid 56 not out from 29 balls in his side’s defeat to Notts in the UK T20 domestic competition overnight, but he believes the information available in the IPL – where he played under head coach Ponting at Mumbai Indians – can be transferred to the Test format as well.
“The IPL was fantastic – everything you would hope and expect it to be and then more on top. The amount of talent in the dressing room, the coaches – I loved working with Ricky Ponting, such an impressive guy and with so much knowledge and passion for the game,” Buttler was quoted as saying to the Mirror by cricket.com.au.
“And the cricket is just brilliant. Going through that experience should really stand you in good stead for international cricket. There was so much information, it was a honeypot of information, but the thing I’ve learned is it’s about how you use it.”
“It’s up to you to filter it so you don’t get confused. It reinforces that you are your own best coach and you have to look after yourself as a player. Once I organise all those thoughts in my head and play well then I feel I can become a Test player.”
He also spoke about trying to make it to the England’s Test side. “I feel like I’ve got all the attributes to play Test cricket and it’s now up to me to put them in order and understand the way I want to play and really commit to it and trust myself.”
“I think through my one-day performances and potential I was picked to play Test cricket the first time. “Now I think it is down to myself to demand to play Tests through performance. “I want to be one of those players who, through performance, really bangs the door down and can’t be ignored.”
