I am unsure about the future of ODI cricket, one of my favourite formats: Jos Buttler

The first ODI on February 06 will mark the commencement of the three-match series between India and England before the all-important ICC Champions Trophy approaches. In the T20I leg, Jos Buttler & Co. were defeated by the Indians by a 4-1 margin, and the visitors will now look to make amends with the 50-over format.

Both the sides will be playing their first ODI series of the year 2025, which is coming after a prolonged gap for both the teams. India played only three matches in 2024, while England last played in October the previous year. As a result, the decrease of focus towards the 50-over format has led to a lot of criticism.

Meanwhile, Buttler has come forward and said that he is not absolutely certain about the future of the format in the sport. He further revealed that it has been one of his most favourite formats, and he doesn't know how the ODIs would pan out in the future.

“I’m unsure (about ODI’s future), I’ve really enjoyed 50-over cricket. It’s always been one of my favourite formats. But it’s certainly been pushed a little bit towards the margins in recent years and the way scheduling is, and obviously the rise of T20 and franchise cricket. But I still believe if you talk to guys about winning a World Cup, they’d probably say a 50-over World Cup ahead of a T20 World Cup at the moment. Whether that continues to be the case moving forward, I don’t know," he was quoted as saying by News18. 

“But the schedules are always the thing. If you can get the best players on the park, playing against each other in whatever the format, I think people are always going to be excited to watch it," he added.

Apart from talking about the scheduling Buttler also explained how playing the series in India can help them get used to the subcontinent conditions where the Champions Trophy is going to take place mentioning that the challenges will be similar. 

“As preparation goes for any tournament, I think taking on India in India is always going to be a great challenge and as good a preparation as you can have, The conditions here in India may be similar (to those in Pakistan). Each ground that we play at always has their own nuances and a little bit of difference. We’re always trying to adapt to that," the England captain said.