JOS BUTTLER HAPPY TO FOLLOW JOE'S ROUTE

BUTTLER WANTS TO BLOSSOM LIKE EX-TEST SKIPPER

- By Rory Dollard

JOS BUTTLER is looking to Joe Root for inspiration as he attempts to flourish in his “new phase” as a former England captain.

Buttler stepped down as England’s white-ball skipper earlier this year after three disappointing tournament showings, passing the baton to Harry Brook, below.

With his 35th birthday just around the corner, Buttler could easily have walked away entirely in pursuit of guaranteed riches as a full-time franchise freelancer.

But he remains committed to following the lead of Root, who has scored 14 hundreds and averaged 58 since being replaced as Test skipper by Ben Stokes.

Buttler said: “It’s not that I wasn’t enjoying my cricket before, but I obviously wasn’t enjoying the way it was going.