Jason Roy has moved a step closer to an international retirement after rejecting the chance to play in the ODI series against Ireland.
It was perhaps an understandable call for the 33-year-old to make with the wound from his World Cup axe still raw and exposed, and it has given Tom Kohler-Cadmore a chance to be called up. As one of the architects of England’s rise to the top of the world in white ball cricket Roy’s removal from the squad to go to India felt like the end of another part of the most glorious of eras.
He had already become surplus to requirements in the T20 side who would go on to become World Champions in Australia last winter, and with a series of back spasms making him an injury concern, the 50-over side have moved on too. The selectors though will not close the door on Roy for good.
That has to be his decision, and once the dust has settled on the summer he may realise that his time in the international game is over. There are still plenty of franchise opportunities for Roy to enjoy, and he made the most of a chance to head to the US in the middle of the summer to try out Major League Cricket.
But by choosing not to play against Ireland, Roy has surely also all but ruled out any chance of being a reserve for the World Cup should Dawid Malan or Jonny Bairstow fall foul to injury during the tournament. There are plenty of alternative options such as Ben Duckett, Phil Salt and Will Jacks should England require a replacement opener, not to mention Zak Crawley, who is skippering the side against Ireland.
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These are high quality players hungry for more international white ball cricket, while Roy’s race with England now appears to have been run. Salt is a handy gloveman as well as powerful top order batter, and if it wasn’t for the rain at Headingley on Wednesday, he was due to fire up as an opener to show what he can do.
“I was down for the first one, not to keep wicket, but to open the batting,” said Salt. “That's open to change and I think they're going to have a little play around.
“But for the first one I was opening and I didn't have the gloves. I'm very disappointed not to have got any play. I think it's quite an exciting opportunity.
“Obviously I know it's an opportunity to stake a claim to a reserve spot, and if I got the call, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Playing for England is where I want to be, and it's where I see myself.
“Playing for England is a priority. There's a lot of franchise opportunities out there, but every game I can get in an England shirt, I want to take with both hands.”
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