ENGLAND FAITH IN ROY
CAPTAIN MORGAN’S ODI MANTRA BACKED TO THE HILT BY ASSISTANT COACH FARBRACE
Cricket
Jason Roy will remain central to England’s Champions Trophy masterplan – because he is a prime example of the successful pact Eoin Morgan has struck with his team.
Out-of-form opener Roy has become close to runless in this summer’s one-day internationals, mustering just 47 in seven innings.
An alternative is waiting at close quarters in the shape of Jonny Bairstow, who has hit three half-centuries in his last four ODI innings and demonstrated his ability to bat effectively at the top of the order with a career-best 174 for Yorkshire last month.
Yet as England – already through to the semi-finals – prepare for their final Group A match against Australia at Edgbaston tomorrow, assistant coach Paul Farbrace reiterated Morgan’s insistence that there will be no change of personnel.
Farbrace identifies the captain as “the single biggest factor in England’s success” since their shambolic early departure from the last World Cup in 2015.
On their return to the ground where they first unveiled the collective commitment to attack which has brought them totals of 300 or more in half of their last 46 matches, Farbrace explained too why Roy’s presence is key.
On the way to a then national-record Under-pressure: Jason Roy. 408-9 against New Zealand here almost exactly two years ago, Roy made a golden duck – in his first ODI innings – before Joe Root and Jos Buttler hit consecutive centuries.
They had all bought into Morgan’s vision of a new future – and Roy, averaging just under 35 despite his nightmare run of low scores of late, but with a three-figure strike rate – is still part of it.
Farbrace said: “In the build-up to that game here, where we got 400, (Eoin) talked to players about going and playing your way and back yourself to play your way.
“He went out and did exactly that in the first game and continued to do so throughout the series, and I think players started saying ‘It’s okay to do it ... not only is he saying it, but he’s actually living it, doing it’.”
Morgan continues to practise what he preaches, and there is plenty of evidence it is working.
“People have taken his lead, and I think that’s why the team has flourished,” added Farbrace.
“He’s been a fantastic leader for this team, absolutely the right bloke for it – the way he’s played has really enabled everyone else to follow suit.
“His words at that stage were ... ‘we’re right behind you, there’ll be no one getting stuck into you if you come out having played an ordinary shot’.
“He backs them, they know they’re supported.”