Jason Roy: England opener left out of T20 World Cup squad and for preceding Pakistan tour

Jason Roy scored just 78 runs in six T20 internationals this summer, averaging 12.66; he also began his Hundred campaign for the Oval Invincible with three ducks in four innings; England tour Pakistan to play seven T20 internationals before the T20 World Cup in Australia in October

Image: Jason Roy walks off after being dismissed in the third T20I between England and South Africa at the Ageas Bowl

Jason Roy has been left out of England's squad for the T20 World Cup in October and for their T20 tour of Pakistan later this month following a poor run of form with the bat.

Roy has struggled this summer, scoring just 78 runs in six T20 internationals, averaging 12.66. He also began his Hundred campaign for the Oval Invincible with three ducks in four innings.

Phil Salt, who has played four T20Is and eight one-day internationals - scoring his maiden century against the Netherlands in June - has been named in both squads and could take Roy's place alongside white-ball captain Jos Buttler at the top of the order, or there could be a promotion up the order for Jonny Bairstow.

Phil Salt hit his first ODI century as England dominate with the bat in the first ODI against the Netherlands.

There was no international recall for Alex Hales, who hasn't played for England since failing a recreational drugs test in 2019.

England's ICC T20 World Cup squad

Jos Buttler (Lancashire) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)

Pace bowlers Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have recovered from their respective injuries and have been named in both squads. Both players last played for England during the Test tour of the West Indies back in March.

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Two players named in England's T20 World Cup squad, Chris Jordan (finger) and Liam Livingstone (ankle), will continue their rehab and will not tour Pakistan, but they remain "on track to be fit for the tournament" according to the press release from the ECB.

England squad for T20 tour of Pakistan

Jos Buttler (Lancashire) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire) Vice-Captain, Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Jordan Cox (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Richard Gleeson (Lancashire), Tom Helm (Middlesex), Will Jacks (Surrey), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Luke Wood (Lancashire), Mark Wood (Durham)

Buttler, who is also recovering from a calf injury, will tour Pakistan but the captain is expected to only be available to play during the latter stages of the seven-match series. In Buttler's absence, Moeen Ali will captain the side.

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Five uncapped players have been picked in the 19-player squad to tour to Pakistan since 2005. Kent batter Jordan Cox is joined by Middlesex seamer Tom Helm, Surrey batsman Will Jacks, Warwickshire quick Olly Stone and Lancashire left-arm seamer Luke Wood.

None of the possible debutants have made England's 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup. Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson, Lancashire fast bowler Richard Gleeson and Sussex left-arm quick Tymal Mills are named as 'travelling reserves' for the tournament.

England fly to Pakistan on 14 September, with the first of their seven T20s played on Tuesday, September 20 - live on Sky Sports - while the T20 World Cup kicks off in Australia on October 16, with England's first group game coming six days later on October 22 against Afghanistan, with every game broadcast live on Sky Sports.

'He's your best player!' | KP urged England to back Roy

Speaking earlier this summer, former England batsman Kevin Pietersen had urged England to stick with Roy in the side, hailing the opener as their "best player" in white-ball cricket despite his loss of form.

Kevin Pietersen passionately defended Jason Roy and urged England to back him earlier this summer.

Roy, who was a key part of England's 50-over World Cup win in 2019, has played 107 ODIs, averaging 40.34, with 21 fifties and 10 hundreds. Across his 64 T20 internationals, Roy averages 24.15, notching eight half-centuries.

"Jason has just turned 32 years old," Pietersen told Sky Sports in August. "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."

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

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