Roy strikes out for his pot of gold
Big hitter eyes IPL and Test riches
THE next few weeks in India possess the potential to transform Jason Roy — a man whose international career quite literally began with nothing — into a millionaire.
The 26-year-old has rarely looked back since being dismissed by the first ball received by an England batsman post-2015 World Cup, against New Zealand at Edgbaston.
He has become one of the more talked about names on the global scene. His selfless striking has set the tone for England’s brave new whiteball world under Eoin Morgan, their Irish captain who returns to the helm this week after ducking the tour of Bangladesh on security grounds.
Such striking plotted a path to the World Twenty20 final nine months ago via a couple of astounding stop-offs — the 16-ball 43 made a world record chase of 230 to defeat South Africa possible, while Roy also contributed 78 of England’s first 110 runs in the semifinal cakewalk over New Zealand.
More of the same on the return to the Subcontinent could get Indian Premier League franchise owners reaching for their rupees.
Roy, opening partner Alex Hales, Ben Stokes and Morgan — released by champions Sunrisers Hyderabad — all intend to enter the February 4 auction in a bid to join Jos Buttler and Sam Billings, who are already contracted, for the 2017 edition. ‘I am going to go into the auction to see if someone picks me,’ he said. ‘Last year I didn’t as I wanted to play in the County Championship, and score some runs to try to push my claims for Test cricket.’
While it remains Roy’s dream to be a Test player, reality dictates his greater appeal is as a Twenty20 recruit. And this year being English should not be a burden when it comes to the IPL’s trading. Limited availability has gone against England players in the past but the positioning of pre-Champions Trophy camps in May means that only the West Indians will not have their participation severely restricted.
Roy arrived in India on Thursday in decent enough touch after a short stint with Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash League in which he contributed 92 runs in four visits to the crease.
‘I needed to kick on a bit after a couple of starts, and I was disappointed I couldn’t contribute more, because I am much better than that,’ he said. ‘It was quite frustrating to walk away from the competition without showing people my full potential, to be honest.’
He has shown that potential in firstclass cricket over the last three home seasons, however, producing statistics to dispel the myth that he is just a limited-overs specialist. England coach Trevor Bayliss believes he can be a game changer in the middle order and, having switched to No 5 for Surrey, he is building a case for inclusion.
From 2014 to 2016, his cumulative average was 46.2, and scores of 120 and 96 in a losing Championship cause versus Durham at bowler-friendly Chester-le-Street in September revealed improving adaptability.
‘I really want to play Test cricket, obviously,’ said Roy. ‘It has always been an ambition of mine and I have been trying to do as much as I can over the past few years to further my claim. Whatever number they want me, I would be prepared to do it. I guess you just have to be patient and make sure you are putting the scores out there to be considered.
‘Halfway through last season, during the England ODIs, I got told to get my head down and score some runs. But I can’t dwell on what I have done so far. I have to keep trying to get noticed. Sure, if I could, I would pick myself in a Test match. But it is up to others to judge if I am ready.
‘It is obviously not the easiest thing to adapt two different games — the oneday and Twenty20 stuff against the four-day stuff — but it is something I have learned to do, and do successfully, over the last couple of years.’
The three-match ODI series plus the trio of Twenty20 internationals begins a diet of limited-overs cricket for England before hosting the Champions Trophy in June.
Morgan insisted he had no regrets about missing Bangladesh yesterday: ‘I’m still comfortable with the decision,’ he said. ‘I tried to imagine all the different circumstances and I didn’t feel comfortable enough in my mind to go and be able to perform.’
Roy added: ‘Eoin’s the leader of the team and has been throughout our success. Bangladesh was a personal decision and we were told nothing would be held against us for our personal decisions before that tour.’