‘He’s your best player!’ | KP says England must back Roy

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Jason Roy has struggled so far this summer for England and in the Hundred but, with a T20 World Cup on the horizon, Kevin Pietersen says the opener needs support; “He is your best player and he has been your best player for a number of years!”

Last Updated: 07/08/22 6:29pm

 Jason Roy's struggles have continued in The Hundred

Jason Roy’s struggles have continued in The Hundred

Kevin Pietersen has urged England to back “best player” Jason Roy amid the opener’s loss of form in white-ball cricket.

Roy has been one of England’s most dependable and exciting players at the top of the order in recent years and was a key part of the World Cup win in 2019, but has struggled so far this summer.

Roy has scored just 197 runs across 11 England games, with zero fifties, while he has started his Hundred campaign with the Oval Invincibles with a first-ball duck followed by just 10 against Welsh Fire.

Speaking before Roy’s cheap dismissal on Sunday, Pietersen said on Sky Sports that Roy has been England’s “best player” and needs to be given assurances, particularly with a T20 World Cup coming up in October.

Oval Invincibles captain Sam Billings says it's only a matter of time until Roy gets going after the opener struggled to score runs once again in the competition

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Oval Invincibles captain Sam Billings says it’s only a matter of time until Roy gets going after the opener struggled to score runs once again in the competition

Oval Invincibles captain Sam Billings says it’s only a matter of time until Roy gets going after the opener struggled to score runs once again in the competition

“Jason has just turned 32 years old,” said Pietersen. “What I’m sick and tired of in this country is the journalists writing people off at such a young age.

“Jason Roy’s a World Cup winner, He’s done an unbelievable job for Eoin Morgan. He was told by Morgan to go out and smack that ball. Now with smacking the ball and being a risk taker, you are going to fail. And when you start failing, failing could happen for a long time.

“If Rob Key [managing director of England cricket] is listening to this, he is your best player and he has been your best player for a number of years.

“What they should be saying and I think this is actually what’s happening behind the scenes, back your best players.”

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Before the World Cup in Australia, England face Pakistan in seven T20 matches and Pietersen believes Roy will rediscover his form in that series.

“Leave Roy now,” he added. “Give Roy the opportunity, through The Hundred, through those T20s to find form again.

“Back him! They’ve done it with Zak Crawley in Test matches, Ben Stokes has said categorically that that Crawley will play for the rest of the season. They need to do that with Jason Roy in the T20 team.”

Oval Invincibles captain Sam Billings also lent his support to Roy after his latest blow, as he was dismissed for just 10 runs when being caught at short fine leg against Welsh Fire.

Jason Roy's poor form continued as he was caught on the first delivery for the Oval Invincibles

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Jason Roy’s poor form continued as he was caught on the first delivery for the Oval Invincibles

Jason Roy’s poor form continued as he was caught on the first delivery for the Oval Invincibles

“He’s a world-class player,” said Billings. “We’ve seen him for so long dominate attacks.

“It’s only a matter of time before he gets going. Today he’s middled one straight to fine leg.

“It will turn, he’s too good not to turn. We keep on getting him playing that positive way, getting us off to a great start.”

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