Pallekele, February 22 While Jos Buttler may still be struggling to find his form, England captain Harry Brook remains confident, describing him as a "powerhouse" and predicting a strong finish in the T20 World Cup.
Buttler's recent poor form continued as he was dismissed for 7 – his third single-digit score of the tournament – against Sri Lanka in their Super 8s clash on Sunday.
Buttler's highest score so far is 26 against Nepal, and the former captain has not scored a fifty since his 83 against South Africa last September.
"I'm not concerned. He's a powerhouse, arguably our best white-ball player ever, but he's currently lacking confidence. I'd rather see him start like this and finish strongly," Brook said after England's 51-run victory over Sri Lanka.
Despite restricting England to a modest 146/9, the hosts then collapsed for 95, their lowest total of the tournament. For Brook, who turned 27, it was a perfect birthday gift.
"A great birthday present, an awesome effort to get over the line and bowl them out for 100 (95)."
England's familiarity with the conditions also played a part, as they had played their preparatory series in Sri Lanka before the T20 World Cup, winning the T20Is 3-0 and the ODIs 2-1.
"We've played a lot here, and we knew that (spin) would be a factor. He (Will Jacks) was frustrated with how he got out, and he said he bowls better when he's angry. We don't need to vary our lines; it's more about pace. We got rewarded with catches, and some catches on the boundary."
"Perfect adaptation to the conditions. I feel like we can play on any surface."
Brook also praised the pitch, saying: "I don't think there were any demons. The spinners on both sides used the pace really well, and the lack of pace created opportunities. We had a chat and adapted really well."
Brook's decision to give the new ball to part-time off-spinner Will Jacks proved to be a masterstroke, as he returned with 3/22, including two wickets in two balls, to reduce Sri Lanka to 34/5 inside the Powerplay.
The hosts never recovered and were bowled out for 95 in 16.4 overs.
On England's batting, Brook said: "It was slow and difficult to time, but Salty played exceptionally well to score 60, and everyone played around him. It wasn't the fluent Phil Salt we are used to, but he got us to a score."
"Jos hasn't fired yet, but if we get on a good wicket, he's going to get a hundred. Phil Salt, too. Once we figure out the Powerplay and dominate with the bat, we're going to be a tough team to beat."
England now lead Group 2 and will face Pakistan and New Zealand in their remaining Super Eights matches.
For Sri Lanka, who are at the bottom of the table, the road ahead has become challenging, with matches against New Zealand and Pakistan to follow.
Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka, however, remained optimistic, saying they kept England 20 runs short.
"Clearly, it's very disappointing, but at the same time, we had a lot of positives in the game. So I think we kept them at a total which was at least 20 runs under par.
"It's just one bad game. The top four have done really well in recent times, so I'm pretty sure that they will do well in the upcoming games.
"I expected my players to bat well. A combination of all the things (factors contributing to the low-scoring contest). I think the pitch played well. Certainly, it was a bit slow in the first innings, but with the lights on, it settled a bit. We played badly."
Shanaka top-scored for his side with 30 off 24 balls, despite the other batters failing miserably.
"The plan was to take it deep (during the chase). We've played a lot of cricket in these conditions, so it was about taking it deep and taking the positive options and the right options, which we didn't take.
"So, ultimately, it's one bad game which is not affordable in a World Cup, but we need to bounce back in the next couple of games," said Shanaka.
