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Jason Roy faces an anxious wait over his World Cup spot after England captain Jos Buttler admitted the selectors would need to \u201cregroup\u201d and \u201clet the dust settle\u201d before finalising their squad.<\/p>\n
Roy, a key part of the side that won the global crown on home turf four years ago, was named in the provisional squad last month and his long established opening partnership with Jonny Bairstow appeared to be inked in for next month\u2019s tournament in India.<\/p>\n
But the landscape has shifted quickly, with Roy suffering back spasms that ruled him out of all four ODIs against New Zealand \u2013 a series effectively planned as a fine-tuning exercise before the competition.<\/p>\n
In his absence Dawid Malan has made a compelling case to take his spot in the first-choice XI, reeling off 277 runs at an average of 92.33 with a strike-rate of 105.72 and signing off with a superb Lord\u2019s century.<\/p>\n
With the versatile Harry Brook hovering in the background after surprisingly being cut from the initial list, Roy\u2019s fitness issues could hardly have come at a worse time.<\/p>\n
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England are expected to formalise their picks next week, ahead of the September 28 deadline, but Buttler has reiterated head coach Matthew Mott\u2019s suggestion that will be no formality.<\/p>\n
Brook already has a place in a much-changed squad to face Ireland and Roy may be asked to join it to prove his form and fitness. For both men, the stakes are high in the coming days.<\/p>\n
Asked if the final 15 was now set in stone after a 3-1 win over the Black Caps, Buttler offered a single, telling word in reply.<\/p>\n
\u201cNope,\u201d he said. Expanding on the subject, and Roy\u2019s status, he added: \u201cObviously it changes and now you can let the dust settle on the series.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe just have to find out (how he is). The biggest frustration for him is he wants to be fit and playing, affecting games of cricket for England. He\u2019s been working really hard to be fit and available but we now have a few days where we can regroup \u2013 the coach, the captain, the selectors \u2013 and just work out exactly what we need to do moving forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want to risk anything but at the same time you do want guys to play cricket. That\u2019s our job, to play cricket and we all want to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roy\u2019s status is complicated by his long tenure in the side. He was a key pillar of England\u2019s white-ball revolution from 2015 and has played more ODIs in the last four years than anyone else, with 32.<\/p>\n
Yet his output has diminished over the same period \u2013 with an average of 42.79 up to the 2019 final dropping to 31.78 in the aftermath.<\/p>\n
England are not averse to ruthlessness, axing Roy on the eve of last year\u2019s T20 tournament and going on to claim the trophy, but are wrestling with their commitment to their core players.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve tried to be a really loyal team and selection panel throughout. It\u2019s something Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss (former captain and coach) started, right at the start,\u201d explained Buttler.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you ask people to play in an aggressive way then leave them out as soon as it goes wrong, it sends the wrong message. We\u2019re asking people to take risks, so there will be failures along the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve reaped the rewards of been consistent with selection, so certainly you take whole picture in. You can\u2019t just pick a World Cup squad from these four games because there\u2019s a lot of thought and process that goes into looking into people as a whole.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s been one of the hallmarks of selection but I think we can find out all the information over the next few days if we need to and make what will always be a really tough decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re blessed with so many good cricketers in the white-ball game at the moment but in a World Cup, you can only take 15.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jofra Archer, another member of the 2019 group, is still under consideration as a travelling reserve as he comes back from another injury-ruined season but Buttler urged caution where the 28-year-old was concerned.<\/p>\n
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\u201cHe\u2019s been out of the game for a while. He\u2019s had his elbow and his back [injuries] and he\u2019s still a young man who\u2019s got a lot of cricket ahead of him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there\u2019s a massive duty of care to make sure that he\u2019s fully fit for the rest of his career. It\u2019s obviously exciting to see him in an England tracksuit and bowling, he\u2019s a superstar. But we\u2019ll find out more over time.\u201d<\/p>\n