England must start with a bang in Champions Trophy opener against Australia in Jos Buttler’s last throw of the dice, writes RICHARD GIBSON

After promising to smile more and relinquishing the wicketkeeper’s gloves, the decision to drop himself back down the order appears to be a last throw of the dice in Jos Buttler’s bid to revitalise his England captaincy.

Sporting a fresh hair cut on Friday in explaining the logic behind the latest tinkering, he did his best to make this Champions Trophy campaign starting with a floodlit Group B clash with world champions Australia sound like a fresh start. No bad thing given that England’s one-day team arrived here on the back of a whitewashing in India.

The personnel from that trip remains the same, but it is the parachuting of the fit-again Jamie Smith into the unfamiliar position of No 3 that has placed Buttler’s own role, in what are still the early days of Brendon McCullum’s tenure as white-ball coach, into focus.

At a time when many have been advocating a promotion in the batting line-up for England’s most dynamic 50-over player, thereby maximising the number of deliveries available to face – Buttler began the start of the ODIs against India at five – he has been persuaded to move the other way.

‘In my whole career in ODI cricket I’ve probably batted at six more than anywhere, so I’m very comfortable in that role and I can always go up if the game needs me to – if Baz says go strap your pads on and get out there,’ Buttler said.

‘So we can always be fluid with that. I feel like 50 overs has been my best format over my career. It’s my best format, it’s where I’ve had the most impact and I want to try to double down on that super strength of being in the middle order.

Jamie Smith has been promoted to bat at No 3 in a big show of faith in the wicketkeeper

England will hope that the pace of Jofra Archer will cause the Australians some problems

‘Jamie is obviously a really exciting player with huge potential. He’s obviously got the game technically and tactically, the head on his shoulders is one of his biggest strengths. I think you could ask him to bat anywhere in the line-up and it wouldn’t phase him.

‘We feel like No 3 gives him a nice licence to go out there, be really aggressive and try to play a match-defining innings, with the blanket of Joe Root, Harry Brook and myself and Liam Livingstone behind.’

Regardless of where he bats himself, it is undeniable that Buttler’s influence has significantly receded since he became permanent England captain three years ago. Up until succeeding Eoin Morgan, he averaged 41.2, with a strike rate of 121.28. Over 33 matches in charge, those respective numbers have dropped to 33.13 and 99.2. Playing in losing teams tends to result in personal statistics going south.

However, Buttler views a tournament which carries the tagline ‘it’s all on the line,’ as the perfect opportunity to turn around a woeful run of 16 defeats in 23 stretching back to the start of the 2023 World Cup.

Despite boasting the worst form of any of the eight teams here, the 34-year-old said: ‘Besides the results, the environment in the group is great, the mood in the camp is really excited and the perception is one of huge optimism. We know we’ve got a lot of talent, we want to perform to the level we know we’re capable of, we’re working hard to do that and we know the results will come.’

In the absence of Ben Stokes, an all-rounder worthy of holding down a top-six spot, England’s dilemma has been whether to lengthen their batting or bowling here.

At a ground with an average first innings score of 290 since Pakistan began hosting international cricket again three years ago, they have opted for runs on the board and pair pace bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood together in an ODI attack for the first time since March 2023, alongside Brydon Carse, recovered from a toe injury, and Adil Rashid, their trump card with the ball. Root and Livingstone will make up the Stokes overs with their very serviceable spin.

As ever, much will rely on the guile of Adil Rashid (right, with Joe Root) – England’s best bowler

Brydon Carse, who has made a fine start to his England career, has recovered from a toe injury

England’s nemesis Steve Smith has urged his Australian compatriots to make a fast start

In contrast, Australia are without their bowling behemoths Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, arrived here on the back of two warm-up hammerings in Sri Lanka and have had net practices disrupted by Lahore’s first rain in three months.

Nevertheless, Buttler said: ‘We’re expecting a really tough challenge, England and Australia is always a great rivalry and a competitive match.’ Buttler said of the first of at least half a dozen meetings between the Ashes rivals over the next 11 months.

Such is the short, sharp nature of the tournament that today’s loser will need to beat Afghanistan and South Africa to progress to the semi-finals.

Australia captain Steve Smith, who like his namesake will bat at three, has warned his team-mates to shed their tendency of starting competitions slowly in the circumstances, saying: ‘Our message to the group is essentially that it’s a quarter-final to start proceedings.’

However, it feels the outcome will be of greater significance to Buttler, commonly referred to as Jose by his team-mates, in trying to prove he is not yesterday’s man.