ROY REDISCOVERS JOY OF THE OVERS
ENGLAND’S alpha batter Jason Roy has opened up on the mental turmoil that had him fearing his international career was all but at an end. Roy’s stunning return to form in Friday’s defeat to South Africa in Bloemfontein was a huge weight lifted off him after a miserable year of failure left him in the last chance saloon.
Roy credits his wife Elle and work he has done with Surrey sports psychologist Andrea Furst for helping him through this rough patch, as well as England skipper Jos Buttler.
But it is also no coincidence that his performance came the day after Kevin Pietersen spent a day at training, talking with Roy and pumping his tyres up.
Pietersen had said: “He felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, but he played some mighty shots and showed everyone, ‘I’m back.’”
Roy said: “It was beneficial having KP there, not from a technical standpoint, but to have him as a sounding board.we spoke about being free, not worrying about the outcome, just playing my game.that talk gave me the confidence to do it.
“I’ve gone out there and just enjoyed myself, tried to impose myself and just be myself. Give it the full bravado – and it was a very proud moment.”
He admitted that the old Roy was back both on and off the field as he struck his 11th
ODI ton (right), making his inclusion in theworld Cup squad a lot more likely.
“It had been a horrible year,” added
Roy. “So this hundred means a lot, but it is only one innings, I’ve got to keep pushing. I’ve had to overcome a lot of doubts towards the latter part of last year, so that’s probably the proudest I’ve been of myself.
“The way I’ve dealt with a lot of things and to come out and play the way I’ve played and be myself again was an incredible feeling.
“It’s definitely something for a way bigger conversation but the nuts and bolts of it are that I came back from the Pakistan Super League playing some of my best cricket and all of a sudden hit some sort of form.
“I pulled out of the IPL because I needed to work on a lot of things in my head.a couple of months in I started being happier as a person. I was a happier guy.
“But then cricket kept going badly, The Hundred was a disaster, I got dropped from thet20world Cup squad and lost my central contract.
“You start doubting yourself as a player.you start doubting yourself as a guy – which
is just not me.”
Dean