A sixth eye
On 20 November 2024, Japan hosted a gathering of senior enlisted members from the Five Eyes intelligence partnership in Tokyo.
During England’s encounter with New Zealand in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 on Sunday, England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler kept himself calm throughout the thriller to help his team realise their 44-year dream.
Buttler had already helped get England to a tie with a run-a-ball fifty alongside Ben Stokes and then returned for England’s Super Over and hit seven from three balls, including a four through midwicket, setting a target of 16 runs for the Black Caps.
Keeping all his contributions apart, Buttler’s biggest test was yet to come when the wicketkeeper had to collect a throw from Jason Roy to catch Martin Guptill short of his crease and secure England their first ever men’s ODI World Cup.
Advertisement
“We were laughing about it in the dressing room, four years came down to one ball,” he said, adding, “Two needed off one ball, we didn’t get that. Then it came down to, can we get a run-out?”
“It’s quite nice to know that we will wake up this week and it did happen! It was quite an incredible match for a World Cup final to be so close, and somehow we managed to win the game,” said Buttler.
Talking about how the star wicketkeeper-batsman managed to keep his head while all around him were losing theirs, he said, “It’s ok when you are in the middle because you go into default, it is what you know — playing cricket. Catching the ball and trying to break the stumps, that’s what I know but the consequences are a bit larger.”
“I don’t think I will ever care about anything ever again! I don’t think I will care what happens now in my career,” said an overwhelmed Buttler.
(With inputs from IANS)
Advertisement
