Jos Buttler hailed for 'amazing' captaincy as England secure T20 series win over West Indies

Saqib Mahmood paid tribute to the "amazing" captaincy of Jos Buttler aft the accelerated bowler helped England warrant a T20 bid triumph implicit the West Indies successful St Lucia.

Buttler's presumption has been nether the microscope pursuing the surrender of some limited-overs World Cups successful the past 12 months, with scrutiny particularly connected immoderate gut calls that backfired spectacularly.

He has continued successful the relation and vowed to "really, truly enjoy" the remainder of his career, with the 34-year-old giving up the wicketkeeper gloves successful the Caribbean to beryllium person to his bowlers.

Mahmood believes helium is benefiting from the decision, pointing retired his dismissals of big-hitters Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer owed overmuch to Buttler's tactical acumen coming to the fore successful England's nervy three-wicket win, which moved them into an unassailable 3-0 pb successful the five-match series.

"I've enjoyed moving with him again, it's somewhat antithetic to erstwhile he's got the gloves, to person him astatine mid-on," Mahmood said. "He made a mates of calls which paid disconnected for us.

"The 2nd shot to Lewis, helium skewed implicit backward constituent and I was debating whether to bring 3rd up and enactment constituent back. He conscionable said to permission it for 1 much shot and helium was caught astatine third.

"To Hetmyer, we were trying to transportation the shot up and beryllium assertive and helium asked 'what bash you reckon to a bumper?' I tried the bumper and helium was caught astatine heavy square-leg.

"I said to him aft that 'what bash you privation maine to vessel adjacent ball?' His captaincy has been amazing."

Mahmood finished with 3 for 17 to instrumentality his tally successful the bid to 9 wickets - 8 of them successful the powerplay - and permission the Windies reeling connected 37 for 5 aft their duplicate defeats successful Barbados.

"It's astir apt the champion I've felt successful an England shirt," Mahmood said. "But T20 cricket is truthful volatile. I could person bowled the nonstop aforesaid and connected a antithetic day, you don't get immoderate reward. It's bully to beryllium getting rewards astatine the moment."

Rovman Powell's 54 disconnected 41 balls successful a 73-run basal with Romario Shepherd, who contributed 30 disconnected 28 deliveries, made definite they did not descend without hint but Jamie Overton dismissed the pair, positive Gudakesh Motie, wrong 7 balls.

A full of 145 for 8 was thought to beryllium below-par but England made a nervy commencement and contempt the evening dew descending and the Windies frantically drying the ball, the location side's spinners bogged them down successful the chase.

Sam Curran's 41 disconnected 26 balls ignited the complaint portion Liam Livingstone was dropped 3 times successful his 39 disconnected 28 deliveries earlier England won successful the last over.

While this was the sixth successive juncture connected this circuit wherever a broadside prevailed aft winning the toss, the flip of the coin was not arsenic instrumental arsenic it had been successful Antigua oregon Barbados.

Asked astir the anticipation of batting archetypal if Buttler calls correctly successful either of the past 2 dormant rubber T20s, Mahmood said: "If thing you astir apt privation to suffer a flip and situation yourselves.

"If we triumph the toss, we astir apt wouldn't spell that way, we'd inactive privation to person that ruthless mindset of trying to triumph each game. But it's not my decision."

Mahmood wants to proceed his affluent vein of signifier successful the 4th and 5th T20s connected Saturday and Sunday, having lone precocious made his England comeback from 2 accent fractures successful his backmost that compromised his availability successful 2022 and 2023.

"The main happening is winning this bid and we've done that," Mahmood added. "I privation to support going but we'll spot what the guys say. Having missed truthful overmuch cricket, I privation to play each crippled that I tin for England."