Discarded England opener Jason Roy has opened up on being dropped for the 2023 World Cup in the last minute. The right-handed batter revealed that it took a huge chunk out of him mentally as being dropped from a 50-overs World Cup squad hurt him immensely.
Why was Jason Roy dropped from 2023 World Cup squad?
Three weeks from the date of the start of the multi-nation tournament, the selectors made a dramatic last-minute change, drafting in Harry Brook from Roy, who was part of England’s World Cup-winning squad in 2019. The 35-year-old was part of the provisional squad but the back spasm prevented him from featuring in the series against New Zealand as Dawid Malan opened with Jonny Bairstow in the 2023 World Cup. Roy, whose last international outing was in February 2023, told ESPN Cricinfo in a recent interview:
“When I got dropped before the World Cup [in 2023], it took a huge chunk out of me, mentally. It feels like yesterday that I got that call from Jos. It’s a long time ago now, but I’ve had to overcome a few things, so it’s gone very quickly. I took myself away feeling disheartened and gutted, all the feelings you get when dropped from a team. But it wasn’t just from the team – it was from the squad, for the World Cup. That is not just another series. That was tough, man. Because you’ve f***ing built it up; you’ve been crap and you understand you’ve been crap. But then you’re coming out of it, you’re feeling good, people are starting to talk positively about you.”
Jason Roy remains active in franchise cricket
The veteran batter remains active in franchise cricket and was recently in action for the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026. The Englishman was roped in as Muhammad Waseem’s replacement midway through the eight-team tournament. In five games, Roy accumulated 169 runs at 33.80 alongside a strike rate of 157.94.
Nevertheless, Roy hasn’t played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since the 2023 edition when he was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). That season saw the England star smash 285 runs in eight games while maintaining a strike rate of 151.59 alongside an average of 35.62. At 35, it remains highly unlikely for Roy to make an international comeback.
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