England’s World Cup squad has undergone a last-minute change, as they’ve replaced Jason Roy with Harry Brook from their provisional roster. Jason Roy, aged 33, was a crucial part of England’s resurgence in the format, including their victory four years ago. However, he has faced inconsistent form since then.
Roy recently missed the entire four-ODI series against New Zealand due to back spasms. While there were discussions about including him to face Ireland later in the week, the selectors ultimately decided to exclude him. This decision could potentially mark the conclusion of Roy’s international career, as he had previously stated that this marquee event would be his farewell, having declined a central contract with ECB.
Although Roy delivered pivotal centuries this year in Bloemfontein and Mirpur, his overall average of 31.78 since the last World Cup and his recurring back issues contributed to his omission. Furthermore, Dawid Malan’s outstanding performance in the recent New Zealand series, where he scored 277 runs from three games at an average of 92.33, solidified his spot in the squad, earning him the Player of the Series award.
“We have assembled a squad we believe can secure victory in the World Cup in India,” remarked Luke Wright, England’s national selector. “We are fortunate to have an exceptionally talented group of white-ball players, as demonstrated by their performances in the series victory against a strong New Zealand side.”
Wright added, “The strength of our squad has necessitated some tough decisions, including leaving out world-class players like Jason Roy and bringing in Harry Brook.”
Taking Roy’s place in the squad, Harry Brook had initially been omitted from the provisional squad after veteran Ben Stokes reversed his retirement and made himself available for the ODI World Cup defense. Brook played in three of the four games against New Zealand, twice as an opener, but his scores of 25, 2, and 10 were modest. Nonetheless, Brook has enjoyed an otherwise remarkable start to his international career in the past year and a half, especially with his aggressive performances in the middle-order in Test cricket.
Revised England World Cup Squad:
- Captain: Jos Buttler
- Squad Members: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, David Willey, Reece Topley, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson