New Delhi: How much cricket is too much cricket?
Jos Buttler says it depends completely on an individual and his ability to at times say “no” to some of the T20 franchise league offers, which helps in finding the perfect work-life balance.
Come September, Buttler, one of England’s finest white-ball keeper-batters, will turn 36, but he is still managing his white-ball career for England while also plying his trade as a sought-after T20 smasher for the 11th successive season in the cash-rich Indian Premier League.
It will be his second season with the Gujarat Titans.
“I am just trying to be very immediate, actually, with my stuff and just be where my feet are. Look at what’s in front of me and play accordingly. Obviously, the IPL is the thing right now,” Buttler told PTI during an exclusive interaction ahead of team’s first match against Punjab Kings on Tuesday.
For Buttler, it is important to know what one’s priority is professionally as well as personally and then take an informed call.
“After a period of time, you reflect and say, okay, where am I at with my career? What’s important to me?
“Obviously, I only play white-ball cricket for England. So I have a calendar now that I feel like I can manage relatively well,” said Buttler, one of the Gujarat Titans’ batting mainstays.
“Alongside the franchise stuff, there are things I’ve turned down to spend time at home because that’s very important to me. I need to maintain energy and relationships and that kind of thing,” the genial T20 World Cup-winning former England skipper said.
Right now, there are way too many T20 leagues happening and Buttler thinks that the “onus is also on the players, to be honest, to be disciplined enough to sometimes say no to something.”
And saying ‘no’ to a few leagues ain’t that difficult, he reckons, which only helps to attain peak performance in whatever competition one plays.
“It is very easy. There’s so much cricket, there’s so much opportunity. I think as a player, you need to be at the top of your game when you go and give yourself to your team, whether that’s international or franchise.
“So, making sure you have enough energy for everything that you’re doing. And that will be independent and individual to certain players.”
