England national cricket team head coach for all formats Brendon McCullum has said that white-ball captain Jos Buttler is quite miserable at times and it will be his responsibility to cheer up the 33-year-old.

Brendon McCullum has taken over as England’s all-format head coach after recently being given white-ball duties in addition to red-ball duties following the departure of Matthew Mott. The New Zealand great will begin his tenure with the white-ball side in January and until then, Marcus Trescothick will take charge of the team.

It is noteworthy that both Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott were rumoured to be sacked after the England team’s failure in two consecutive World Cups, but Buttler survived and will continue in charge.

Speaking at a press conference after his appointment as head coach of all formats, Brendon McCullum stated that Jos Buttler is not an expressive human being, but he is a talented player, and both are excited to work together.

“He’s been a bit miserable at times,” Brendon McCullum said of Buttler, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “I think he’s not naturally as expressive as some can be.

“But I think he’s done a great job, right? He won a [T20] World Cup as captain. He was also part of teams that won the World Cup before. He is an incredibly talented player. He is a great leader.

“My job is to get the best out of him so that everyone sitting in the locker room feels like they could be 10 feet tall and bulletproof when they go out and play. And they know that the captain is going to give them an extra pat on the back and enjoy the ride with them. So it’s a big challenge. I’m really excited about it and I know Jos is too, which is great.”

Jos Buttler and I are on a stronger footing – Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum further said that when he was appointed head coach of the England Test team he was not friends with Ben Stokes but things will be different when he starts his white-ball training with “one of the greats” Jos Buttler, who is his good friend.

“When I first started working with the Test team, Stokesy and I knew each other, we had a natural respect for each other but I wouldn’t say we were friends,” McCullum said.

“What we’ve developed over the last few years is a very close friendship, to the point where I consider him a very close friend. As much as you’re doing this for cricketing reasons, ultimately you want to develop good friendships and relationships that last much longer than the time you’ve been in the job.

“Jos and I are on a much stronger footing. We know each other, we’re friends, we have similar styles of play. What I want from Jos is for him to enjoy the next few years. If he were to retire today, he would probably go down in history as the greatest white-ball player England has ever produced.”

Brendon McCullum also expressed his desire to see Jos Buttler enjoying his game while playing for England and was hopeful that their friendship would develop further. Brendon McCullum stated:

“So the opportunity for the next three or four years, no matter how long he plays, is to just enjoy it. Not guard anything. Just get the best out of all the guys around him, keep walking into danger, play with a smile on your face and try to do something that’s really cool. Where he can look back and say, ‘Wow, I’ve really enjoyed these last few years. ‘ I’m sure our relationship will go from just friends to really good friends.”

Jos Buttler has suffered a major setback as he has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against the Australian National Cricket Team due to a calf injury, and is also doubtful for the ODI series.