But if these arguments seem convincing, the reality is less simple.

Yes, the sample size is too small to draw definitive conclusions, but when Buttler captained from the outfield, there was no obvious improvement in results – three wins and four losses on his return of seven matches for England and the Manchester Originals.

“Being a wicketkeeper is a huge advantage in terms of gaining tactical insights into decision-making,” says Sam Billings, wicketkeeping captain who won the 2021 T20 Blast and the last two editions of the Hundred as as skipper.

“As a wicketkeeper, you can read conditions, field positions and angles much better than any other place on the field.”

There have been few more successful white-ball captains than 2011 World Cup-winning Indian skipper MS Dhoni, famous for his adjustments and tactical acumen behind the stumps.

“It’s hard to go from being a captain and keeping it your entire career to being a captain with extra coverage all the time,” Billings adds.

“(Former England skipper) Eoin Morgan was a very good captain because he always led from cover and worked on those conversations.”

Of course, there’s also no guarantee that less responsibility means better results.

McCullum’s career may have been extended by ditching the gloves, but his batting average was just 29.76 after that.

If he wants to remain a keeper, Buttler could easily appoint one of his other confidants, Kumar Sangakkara.

The Sri Lanka great kept the wicket till the end and finished his illustrious ODI career with four centuries in his last five matches.

The statistics might just tell Buttler what he wants to hear.