Jos Buttler: England star is best white-ball player in the world, says captain Eoin Morgan | Cricket News

“It’s incredible to watch and not something we ever get sick of or take for granted”; captain Eoin Morgan has hailed Jos Buttler as the best white-ball cricketer in the world after his incredible 162no from 70 balls in England’s world-record 498-4 in the first ODI vs Netherlands

Eoin Morgan believes Jos Buttler is the best white-ball cricketer after the England star smashed a stunning century to propel his side to a one-day international record total in Amstelveen.

Buttler hit an unbeaten 162 from 70 balls, including seven fours and 14 sixes, to take England to 498-4 as they beat the Netherlands by 232 runs in the first ODI.

It was the latest in a string of recent centuries for the 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who made four hundreds for Rajasthan Royal in the recent Indian Premier League and Morgan says he is leading the way worldwide on current form.

“Jos played in a world of his own, like he has been over the last year or two years,” the England white-ball captain said.

“It’s incredible to watch and not something we ever get sick of or take for granted. It really is amazing cricket. It’s the reason he probably is the best white-ball cricketer in the world at the moment.”

Buttler reached his 10th ODI from just 47 balls as England beat Netherlands

Buttler was asked whether he was in the form of his life and accepted that that may well be the case.

“It certainly feels like it,” he said. “The IPL couldn’t have gone better for me. I absolutely loved it and it gives you a hell of a lot of confidence.

“Coming here I was feeling in good touch. It was a really good wicket and we got a great start so it gave us licence to really attack.

“It’s about trying to work out conditions, see what feels right on the day. I am trying to back my six-hitting a lot more than I have in the last one or two years. I am trying to stand a lot stiller and hit sixes. That was the plan today.

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Watch all of England’s record-breaking 26 sixes against Netherlands in their first ODI game

“The World T20 went well, the Ashes was tough and I actually had two months of no cricket after the Ashes. I thought that was really refreshing, I really enjoyed that time.

“I turned up at the IPL with not a lot of expectations but a lot of motivation and freshness, which is really key to enjoying your cricket and having the energy and drive to work hard and really get the best out of yourself.”

Buttler was one of three England centurions in the innings with Phil Salt and Dawid Malan both notching their first ODI tons, the latter becoming the second England men’s player – after Buttler – to reach three figures in Test, ODI and T20I cricket.

“Having the majority of the senior guys here has helped with better integration of guys who haven’t necessarily played a lot of ODI cricket,” Morgan said. “It’s great to see Dawid Malan and Phil Salt post big scores early in their ODI careers.

“It’s great to see the hunger within the deeper depths of our squad and I think the proudest thing for us is that nobody takes for granted playing for this white-ball team. But when guys come in and play with the mantra that we’ve played with for six or seven years now, it’s a huge credit to them.

“It’s not always easy to but Dawid and Phil did it today.”

As for the prospect of England topping their new world-record and breaking the 500 barrier, Morgan was quick to brush it off.

“There is a lot of hard work to be done,” he added. “We don’t take days like this for granted at all. We have earnt the right to give it a nudge today. It doesn’t mean that on Sunday we will be up against it, or next Wednesday, but we have worked incredibly hard to earn days like today.”

Watch the second one-day international between Netherlands and England from 9.50am, Sunday on Sky Sports Cricket.