The swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has got down to business after his first IPL season with us. He scored a brilliant 91 from just 73 balls to win the game for Lancashire in England’s domestic 50 overs game. The English man who finished his IPL stint as the third highest run-getter for us claimed that he “learnt a lot about cricket and himself as a person (during his time in India).”

Jos Buttler who played all the games for us travelled all over India throughout the 8 weeks. He travelled to different places, and he termed the visit to the slums of Mumbai as the best thing away from the field. He said, “India is such an attack on your senses and is unrivalled for the passion surrounding cricket. But one of the best things away from playing was a visit to a Mumbai slum. You see people in their conditions, getting stuck into their way of life and not moaning, and realise how lucky you are to be doing what you are doing. It put things into perspective.”

Talking about his experience with the Mumbai Indians, he trained under the guidance of modern day cricketing legends. He says being coached by the Punter and the experience of the Master and Jonty Rhodes in the dugout has made him more self-reliant. “Going into a new environment with new coaches posed the question as to how well I actually know my own game. To have these big names asking what I want from them, and what makes me tick, showed me how selfish you have to be with your practice. You have to demand from them what you believe will get the best out of yourself, rather than be told what to do,” said a pleased Buttler.

While playing for us, Buttler made sure he improved himself as a cricketer by taking points from Ponting (played 168 Test matches for Australia) , as to how he can make a strong comeback to Test cricket. “I had a bit of a chat with Ricky and his advice was about understanding your game and taking ownership of it. No one can do it for you, it’s down to you. That’s what you notice about the top players in the IPL, they have that belief and trust in their own ability.” He added, “My Test career started well and I was happy but in the Ashes I fell away. I went away from what I do well. I was worrying about how Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson or Josh Hazlewood would get me out and how I would counter it, but in doing that forgot how I was going to score runs and put pressure on them, which is what I’m good at. I have to be more focussed on myself.”

Quotes are taken from The Guardian.