LONDON: Despite forfeiting his contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), England opener Jason Roy still wants to represent his country at the Cricket World Cup in India later this year.
On Thursday, Roy confirmed that he has forfeited the final months of his deal with the ECB after agreeing to sign up with a new white-ball competition in the United States.
He has however made it clear that he has taken this decision without ending his hopes of playing for England but remains available for international selection.
The agreement with the ECB means Roy can also keep one eye on securing a spot in the England squad at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to be held in India in October-November this year.
“I hope to play for England for many more years, that remains my priority,” Roy said in a statement.
“As a single format player with no central contract, I wanted to take the opportunity to play this competition as there are currently no scheduling conflicts with England.
“It benefits me as an England player to play as much competitive cricket as possible.
“Just to be clear, my priority is England cricket, especially with a World Cup”soon upon us.”
The MLC is due to take place from July 13-30 at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas and has significant backing from both India and Australia: four of the six franchises have investors who own IPL teams, while Cricket Victoria and Cricket New South Wales have stakes in the other two.
The league’s inaugural season features a minor clash with the English summer: the semifinals and finals of the T20 Blast take place on July 15, while there are two rounds of County Championship fixtures between Finals Day and the start of the Hundred on August 1. IANS
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