Friday 2 November 2018 16:33, UK
Nasser Hussain believes limited-overs opener Jason Roy has a future in England's Test side, despite not being selected for the three-match series against Sri Lanka.
The 28-year-old is yet to earn a call-up for his country in the longest format of the game and although Roy only played two County Championship matches for Surrey last season he struck a century against Essex in the final round of games.
England's middle-order remains unsettled, with Moeen Ali being tested as a potential No 3 and a combination of Joe Root, Ollie Pope and Dawid Malan batting at four during the series against India, and Hussain believes Roy can adapt and be successful in red-ball cricket for England.
"He is a very talented young man," Husaain said. "He is not just a limited-overs specialist and I think he has a lot to offer down the line.
"He puts the opposition attack under pressure. If this had been an Australia, New Zealand or South Africa tour Roy would have been in the Test team.
"He is not one of these lads, like Alex Hales, who is saying 'I'll just play one-day cricket'. He is keeping his four-day game going, England are looking for batsmen in the middle order."
Shane Warne has suggested that Roy could open the batting for England in Test cricket, even though he bats in the middle-order for his county.
"On pacy wickets with the ball coming on, Roy still has a future in red-ball cricket," Hussain said. "That is why he has to work with Graham Thorpe and Mark Ramprakash on manoeuvering the ball early on in his innings.
"He might have hard hands at times in England with the ball moving around, but why not [open with him]? Sometimes we're a bit negative, let's look at what he does do."
Root was rested for the one-off T20I, in which England defeated Sri Lanka by 30 runs, and Hussain was not surprised by the visitors giving their Test captain a break with the three-match Test series starting early next month.
"With Test matches coming up, his family out here, he's spent enough time at cricket grounds watching it rain and he's got a lot of cricket ahead of him," Hussain said.
"It is the right thing to do. Previously, a lot of coaches would have left him out and brought him to the ground today.
"He was left out of the last T20 England played at Bristol against India. it was an unbelievable sight watching Root carry drinks on."
Watch the first Test between England and Sri Lanka live on Sky Sports Cricket on Tuesday, November 6 from 4am.
