England news: Steve Harmison insists Jos Buttler has earned the right to decide his future

Steve Harmison believes Jos Buttler may be at the end of a glittering England career, but insists he has earned the right to determine his own future.

Buttler, 35, is widely rated as the country’s best ever white-ball batter but was largely a passenger in their run to the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

In eight innings, he managed a total of 87 runs and never looked close to his punishing best.

Buttler resigned as limited-overs captain just over a year ago after overseeing a disappointing sequence of tournament performances, but was a key part of England’s 50-over World Cup win in 2019 and oversaw the T20 triumph in Australia three years later.

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Big question

The next big trophy is up for grabs when South Africa hosts the World Cup in 2027 and Harmison thinks the moment has come for Buttler to ask himself the big question.

“I think Jos deserves the right to think, ‘have I got one more cycle in me, to get through to another tournament?’,” the former fast bowler told TalkSport.

“Only Jos can answer that and he should be allowed to do that. But I just look at Jos and I’m not sure he’s enjoying playing cricket for England at the moment.

“If his heart is in it and he wants to continue playing for England, then I think he plays again.”

Record run-scorer

He continued: “If the candle is just flickering and it’s not quite there – which it doesn’t seem to have been from an enjoyment factor for the last year or so, then maybe it is time for Jos to say, ‘I’ve given my time, given everything for England, I’ve been England’s best ever white-ball player and it’s now time for someone else to take over’.

“He needs to look at himself in the mirror and say, ‘do I really want to carry on playing international cricket’.

“If he says, ‘I do’ then he keeps on for me. It’s just whether the ups and downs have taken that effect.”

If Buttler does choose to walk away and end his days as a hired gun on the franchise circuit, he would depart as England’s most capped cricketer across formats with 411 appearances.

He is the country’s record T20 run-scorer with 4,037 and third on the ODI list with 5,515.

READ MORE: Brendon McCullum keen to stay on as England coach despite T20 World Cup semi-final exit