Roy hails stepping stones to global title
JasonRoyhasbecomeahabitual record-breaker for England. But he insists that he is merely taking “stepping stones” to the moments that count – in next year’s World Cup.
Roy admits the “heartbreak” of being dropped from last year’s Champions Trophy semi-final, and then having to watch England be knocked out by Pakistan, remains a driving force to put things right in 50-over cricket’s biggest tournament.
Along the way, he is compiling a remarkable string of brilliant performances. The 27-year-old’s latest century at Chester-le-Street, his second in three innings against Australia either side of making 82, helped the hosts go 4-0 up on Australia in the series which ends at Old Trafford tomorrow.
For good measure, he and Jonny Bairstow bagged their fifth century opening partnership – more than any other England pair in the short format. Roy hopes more than anything, though, that all those heroics prove appropriate milestones to a maiden World Cup for England. “The records are fantastic obviously, and it’s a nice reward for the hard work we have put in,” he said.
“(But) our main aim is to make sure these are just stepping stones to the bigger picture – the World Cup. It’s great breaking all the records and stuff – but at the end of the day, the aim is to have this confidence come the World Cup.”
Roy has won 89 white-ball caps, with six ODI hundreds, but it has been far from seamless. He completed a sequence of nine innings without a 50 when he was bowled for a second-ball duck in the series opener at The Oval last week.