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England’s cricketing landscape is buzzing with discussions as the ODI World Cup 2023 approaches, and one of the hot topics is the omission of Jason Roy from the 15-member squad. England’s captain, Jos Buttler, has now provided insights into the decision to leave out the stylish opener from the World Cup squad.
Harry Brook’s versatility plays a key role in Roy’s omission
Notably, Roy was initially part of the provisional World Cup squad, but his recurring back spasms and the versatility of young talent Harry Brook in the top six batting positions ultimately led to his exclusion from the final squad.
The back spasms that plagued Roy also prevented him from participating in any of the four recent one-day internationals against New Zealand. Unfortunately, this marks the second consecutive ICC event where Roy won’t be representing England; he was dropped from the squad for the T20 World Cup 2022 due to poor form.
Despite Brook’s relatively modest performance, averaging just 12.33 in three innings against the Black Caps, the team management decided to go with him as Roy’s replacement.
Also READ: England star Joe Root predicts the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker of ODI World Cup 2023
A tough decision and a great mate: Buttler
In an interview with Sky Sports, Buttler spoke about the challenging task of delivering the news to Roy. He emphasized the difficulty of such decisions, even when the player in question is a great teammate and friend.
“I don’t think any time is easy. It’s part of the job as captain that is not enjoyable, whether they’re great friends or not, it’s not a nice job to do. It’s my responsibility to give that news. He’s a really great mate of mine, so it was a really tough call to make,” Buttler acknowledged.
However, Buttler assured that Roy remains an important part of the squad, serving as the top-order reserve batsman in case of injuries to the starting lineup. Regarding Brook’s inclusion, the 33-year-old praised his versatility, noting that he can bat anywhere in the top six positions, which provides a valuable advantage to the team management in terms of flexibility and batting depth.
“Jason will be the top-order reserve, absolutely. Harry, we do feel gives us versatility – he can cover one to six in the batting order, which is obviously something that’s advantageous in a squad. But good players miss out, it’s the very brutal nature of sport,” the Somerset cricketer added.
