Ashes 2019 | Feels like a good time for Jason Roy to join Test team, claims Ed Smith
National selector Ed Smith opined that Jason Roy is a more ācompleteā player now than he was before and feels the upcoming Ashes series will be the perfect time for the opener to make his Test bow. Roy was one of Englandās leading scorers at the World Cup where he averaged more than 60.
England went against all odds and proved their merit as the top-ranked ODI team by narrowly beating New Zealand to the ICC World Cup last Sunday at Lordās. Ben Stokes was the man of the moment on that occasion but Englandās World Cup campaign had a number of heroes that rose up to the moment in crunch situations. One such unsung hero was three lions opener - Jason Roy.
National selector Ed Smith heaped praise on the batsman as he claimed that Royās progress with the bat meant that he is ready to have a crack at Test cricket after two years being part of the limited-overs setup.
"It's no great secret the selectors have long been admirers of Jason. The big question with Jason Roy was when was the ideal time if he was going to make the move into Test cricket?
"Joe Root and I spoke at length months ago about the scenario in which Jason Roy finished the World Cup confident, full of runs and went straight into the Ashes and that's what we've done. It feels like a really good time for Jason to join the Test team as an opener. He's in and has our full backing.I think we've all seen him grow and improve as a player in white-ball cricket. There's never been any doubt about his talent, audacity or his presence at the crease - it's fantastic. He's also gained improved mastery and adaptability. I think he's a more complete player now than he ever has been. It just felt like absolutely the right time for Jason to make his Test debut, Smith was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
Smith, who represented England in three Test matches, also talked up the return of wicket-keeper Jos Buttler making a return to the England Test team. Buttler played a starring role with the bat in the final alongside Ben Stokes to help England win their maiden World Cup title.
"Going back to that first decision last May when coming in as selector it just felt like exactly the right time for Jos to come back into the Test team. Although I wouldn't compare them because they are very different players and different people, in the same way it feels like the right time for Jason. He's playing very well, growing and developing all the time and it's an exciting prospect for us," Smith added.