JASON VOWS TO BOUNCE BACK FROM ‘BITTER PILL’

JASON ROY said he was “gutted” his T20 World Cup adventure is over after scans confirmed he suffered a torn left calf in the loss to South Africa on Saturday.

Hampshire batsman James Vince has been drafted into the squad as his replacement, but the news came as a hammer blow to England ahead of their semi-final against New Zealand tomorrow.

Roy’s impetus at the top of the order is a big reason why England have been so successful in recent years, and it will be up to

Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow to carry on where he has left off.

They will have his full support from the sidelines.

Roy, above, said: “I’m gutted to be ruled out. It’s a bitter pill to swallow.

“I’ll be staying on to support the boys and hopefully we can go all the way and lift that trophy. It has been an unbelievable journey so far, and we have to continue expressing ourselves and concentrating on us.

“The rehab has already started and, even though I’ve torn my calf, I’m going to give myself the best chance of being ready for the T20 tour of the Caribbean at the start of next year.”

Roy hobbled off the pitch in Sharjah suffering both pain and frustration – in the knowledge that once again a World Cup campaign has been disrupted by injury.

In 2019, an injury to his left hamstring caused Roy to miss three games during the World Cup, though there was enough time for him to battle back and return in spectacular style for the final four matches.

Time is not on his side here with just a week to go and his campaign is now over, Sam Billings the likely replacement in the England batting line-up.