Australia skipper Tim Paine on Sunday heaped praise on England keeper-batsman Jos Buttler, hailing him higher than former India skipper MS Dhoni as “the best white-ball wicketkeeper batsman in the world”.
Buttler’s superb 110 not out saw England to a dramatic one-wicket win over Australia in the fifth and final one-day international at Old Trafford on Sunday. The victory saw England complete their first 5-0 series sweep of Australia in any format in more than 140 years of international men’s matches between the arch-rivals.
Set just 206 to win, England slumped to 50/5 and 114/8. They were still 11 runs shy of victory at 195/9 when Adil Rashid (20), who had helped Buttler add 81, was dismissed.
But Buttler responded by hitting part-time seamer Marcus Stoinis for six to complete a hundred off 117 balls – the first time the usually rapid-scoring wicketkeeper-batsman had faced more than 100 balls at this level to complete a three-figure score.
“He’s good, he’s very good,” Paine, a keeper-batsman himself, said of Buttler. “Right now, at the moment, he’d have to be the best white-ball wicket-keeper batsman in the world. I don’t think there’s too many guys to challenge him. MS Dhoni is pretty good, but right at this moment, Jos is at the absolute peak of his powers. He understands his one-day game so well and knows his strengths inside out and just doesn’t go away from him.
“He’s someone for our batters to watch and see first hand. Those experiences are going to be really good for D’Arcy Short or Travis Head to see him and Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy at their best,” Paine added.