Jos Buttler intends to use England's World Cup misery to fuel his drive for the rest of his playing days - but he's adamant he won't let the humbling campaign define either him or his career.
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England's defence of the title they won to much acclaim in 2019 was a debacle, with Buttler not making a single fifty and averaging just 15.33 in nine group-stage matches as his form completely deserted him.
Three weeks on from their final game of a grizzly trip to India, Buttler is on the road again and looking to wipe the slate clean as he leads a new-look England side on a white-ball tour of the West Indies, starting with the first of three ODIs on Sunday in Antigua.
Having taken a few painful lessons from the past few weeks, Buttler says he is as committed as ever to get England back to being the standard-bearers in the limited-overs formats.
"I've got to use it as motivation and hunger to push myself and the team forward," the England white-ball captain said. "Use it as a positive experience to go into the rest of my career.
"I still feel incredibly motivated and excited and it's nice to be around some of the younger guys who are desperate to do well. As a more senior player, it gives you a lot of energy.
"We have had one bad tournament. Any time that you get challenged and get pushed back, it certainly lights a few fires and motivates you. I should be in an even better place moving forward than I have been."
Buttler and England's Australian head coach Matthew Mott inevitably drew plenty of criticism for finishing seventh out of 10 teams in the subcontinent but the pair have been backed fully by director of men's cricket Rob Key.
Having had time to digest what happened, Buttler retains a pragmatic outlook and reminds himself of teammate Ben Stokes' now memorable line to Jofra Archer before the pivotal super over in the 2019 World Cup final.
"I always think of Ben Stokes' words to Jofra about the super over - 'whatever happens here doesn't define you' - and I certainly don't feel like that World Cup is the defining moment for me.
"It's a huge disappointment but it doesn't define me as a person or my whole career."
Buttler did not reveal his XI for what is being dubbed by some as a reset as they build towards the 2025 Champions Trophy and 2027 World Cup but Will Jacks and Phil Salt are set to open the batting.
Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse have followed Buttler to the Caribbean from the World Cup, while a 15-strong squad is bolstered by Test regulars Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope.
"It's certainly a bit of a new beginning," Buttler added. "There's some really exciting talent in this team. There's a nice blend, I think."
Australian Associated Press
