Jos Buttler has stated that the assertions made by former India head coach Ravi Shastri and former England captain Kevin Pietersen regarding his team's insufficient training sessions during their tour of India are not entirely accurate. England has faced criticism for their disappointing preparation leading up to the Champions Trophy, having suffered a 3-0 defeat to India in the recently concluded ODI series.

Shastri and Pietersen initially claimed that England had conducted only one net session throughout the ODI series and opted not to train following their loss in the first match in Nagpur. In response to Shastri's remarks after the third ODI, Buttler remarked, "I'm not sure that's quite true." He emphasized that the team has been on an extensive tour, which began with a five-match T20I series starting on January 22.

"Buttler noted, 'I think we've had a reasonably long tour, with several long travel days... There have been occasions when we haven't trained, but we have certainly engaged in ample training throughout the tour. We strive to foster a positive environment, but that should not be mistaken for a lack of diligence or effort. The players are eager to perform, succeed, and improve.'"

Since their group-stage exit in the 2023 World Cup, England has lost all four ODI series they have participated in, winning only four out of the 14 ODIs played during this timeframe. Buttler's team rarely appeared capable of challenging the hosts, yet he believes that their confidence will not be significantly affected by this performance.

"We aim for results to enhance our confidence and secure victories—winning matches feels far more rewarding than losing. We are competing against a strong team in their home conditions, and they are likely the standard-bearers in ODI cricket at present," Buttler remarked, finding a silver lining in his team's underwhelming performance.

"We have not played to our full potential; while we have had some positive moments in games, they have not been sufficient to secure results or give the impression that we could win in the last three matches. However, I believe that the fact we have not yet reached our potential is a positive sign."

'No concerns' on how England fared against spin

England began the series with promising performances with the bat; however, they struggled significantly whenever India's spinners took control during the middle overs. The upcoming Champions Trophy matches will primarily take place in Pakistan, where recent Test matches have shown that the pitches favour spin bowling. Despite this, Buttler expressed that he had "no concerns" regarding England's ability to handle spin in this series.

"I have no concerns. As I mentioned, we simply need to improve. It is essential for us to maintain confidence in all our players' abilities against spin. Our players possess a wide array of shots. Joe Root is arguably one of the finest players of spin globally, making him a valuable asset to our team. As I stated, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for our struggles, but we must strive to be more effective and learn from our opponents," he remarked.

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