Jos Buttler reveals his mental struggles which haunted him before World Cup final

The Three Lions roared vehemently on the final eve of the 2019 World Cup. Eoin Morgan‘s side etched their names in the most coveted trophy of cricket and it was a perfect end of a cricketing fairytale. Ironically in 4 years, the England team experienced the highs and lows of their ODI Sojourn.

All their players stood up at different stages of the tournament which is a hallmark of a champion side. Especially Ben Stokes who carried the side to the footsteps of glory and probably played the innings of his professional career in the final. He was equally supported by England’s keeper-batsman Jos Buttler whose attacking strokeplay led the resurgence of side in ODIs.

Once again when the team needed him he responded with a crucial 59 and above all, a 110 run partnership alongside Stokes was one of the turning points of the game. In the end, he affected the run-out of Martin Guptill and finished the innings but this time with the ball in his hand. After the game, he was visibly ecstatic but now he has given some more insights.

Even the best needs help

With his finishing skills and ability to tear apart bowling attacks, Jos Buttler was always going to be a trump card for England in the championship. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out according to plans as he struggled throughout the tournament. Apart from a century against Pakistan Buttler never hit the straps until the final game of the series. Now the right-hander has come out explaining his mental state during the World Cup and his session with team psychologist, David Young before the all-important final at Lord’s.

“I had played in eight finals before Sunday and lost seven of them,” Buttler told The Daily Mail. “I’d played in lots with Somerset, the Champions Trophy with England [in 2013] and when we lost the [World] T20 [final] in Kolkata [in 2016] and I knew how much it hurt watching the other team lift the trophy. I didn’t want to feel that pain and that regret again.

According to England’s keeper-batsman, he was scared of losing another final. He also expressed his agony of losing the past finals and how it affected his morale. Buttler further added that he wouldn’t have played the game if they lost the finals as he was constantly under the fear of wasting a golden opportunity. He

“What was scaring me was if we lost, I didn’t know how I’d play cricket again. This was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a World Cup final at Lord’s. It felt like destiny and I was thinking: ‘If it doesn’t happen, I will have no motivation to pick up a cricket bat for a very long time.’ When I was talking to David, I knew the answers.

“I knew all I could look after was the stuff I could look after, and I needed to get into my zone, which allows me to perform the best I can. But what happens if it goes wrong?” Buttler further said.