Jason Roy tells Sky Sports Cricket Podcast the depth of talent in England's ODI set-up is scary
Watch the first ODI between England and Ireland, live from The Ageas Bowl from 1.30pm on Thursday
Wednesday 29 July 2020 20:26, UK
Opener Jason Roy says the ODI series against Ireland offers England a great chance to look at some of the players who might help the world champions defend their crown in 2023.
The sides will face each other in the first of three games at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday in the first match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League, which will determine which teams qualify for the 50-over tournament in four years' time.
With England's Test and white-ball teams selected from separate squads to make it easier to adhere to bio-secure regulations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Roy says he is excited to see how some of the lesser-experienced players shape up.
Speaking to Rob Key on the latest edition of the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, which you can listen to in full above, the Surrey batsman said: "We've obviously got the T20 World Cup to work towards [in 2021] and then we want to go on and win the following World Cup.
"This Ireland series is giving us an opportunity to see a lot of young players - Tom Banton, Saqib Mahmood and other players coming through and ones who haven't got a chance in the past.
"It's another opportunity to see the raw talent coming through. The talent in the squad that we got together for the training camp before the cut for this ODI series was scary.
"It was just so good to watch; that would have been a stinking job for the selectors to select out of that. It must have been so difficult.
"The process is the same again as it was for the last four years - build those foundations and then find what works.
"The T20 World Cup is probably at the forefront of our minds. But I think we do quite well as a squad to separate all of the three-forms. But for the time being we just want to win this series now."
Live One-Day International Cricket
Roy shared his thoughts on some of his team-mates including…
Tom Banton: "He's got quite a simple way he goes about the game; he hits the ball strong. It's almost like watching a young KP, I reckon. He's quite a big fella and he's got stature at the crease. He latches onto the short ball and if you go a bit fuller he's pumping you everywhere. I'd like to see him get going because he's amazing to watch."
Saqib Mahmood: "He's a naughty, naughty bowler! He's the one you don't really want to take the new ball in the nets. He's swinging it both ways at the moment and bowling with good pace."
Adil Rashid: "He's been borderline unplayable in the nets. He's bowling so much quicker and with his variations it's so hard to pick. He's got no shoulder issues at the moment and he's bowling like a genius at the moment."
Key is joined on the podcast by former Ireland international Niall O'Brien and host Nick Knight, with the panel discussing a number of other topics including…
- why England should expect to face a high-energy, aggressive Irish team that will be looking to play on the front foot
- whether the format of the new World Cup Super League is one that will capture fans' imaginations
- if Jonny Bairstow should focus on being a white-ball player only or should still aspire to retain his Test spot
England Men's ODI Squad
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Sam Billings (Kent), Tom Curran (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Joe Denly (Kent), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Reece Topley (Surrey), James Vince (Hampshire), David Willey (Yorkshire)
Reserves: Richard Gleeson (Lancashire), Lewis Gregory (Somerset), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)
Royal London ODI Series
First ODI: Thursday July 30, Ageas Bowl
Second ODl: Saturday August 1, Ageas Bowl
Third ODI: Tuesday August 4, Ageas Bowl
Watch the first one-day international between England and Ireland, live from The Ageas Bowl from 1.30pm on Thursday.
