Harry Brook replaces Jason Roy in England's ODI World Cup 2023 squad

Harry Brook has been awarded a place in the 15-man squad as Roy's has been excluded due to a back injury.

Sep 17, 2023 - 20:43 Updated: Sep 18, 2023 - 09:13

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Harry Brook replaces Jason Roy in England's ODI World Cup 2023 squad

Jason Roy has been one of the most prolific openers in international cricket. Playing for England, the batting prodigy has won games single-handedly for his team with a series of memorable innings. He played a crucial role in the forthcoming ODI World Cup, which starts on October 5. However, in a rather deceptive manner, Roy has been eliminated from the prestigious tournament weeks before its start.

Notably, Harry Brook has been included in the 15-man squad after Roy's exclusion. It is important to note that Roy's absence is due to a back injury. Despite being initially announced as a member of the squad, he did not play in the recently concluded four-match series against New Zealand due to back spasms he had endured over the past few weeks.

Following Brook's selection, England's chief national selector, Luke Wright, expressed confidence in the squad, stating that England are confident that they can defend their title in India for the quadrennial tournament. In addition, he stated that the Three Lions possess an immensely potent group of white-ball players who can win games for the squad when necessary.

ESPNcricinfo quotes Wright as saying, "We are blessed with an incredibly strong group of white-ball players, as evidenced by their performances in the series win against a very good New Zealand team."

Wright weighed in on Roy's exclusion as well. He stated that the decision to rule out Roy was a difficult one, but added that the squad still possesses a great deal of depth to be able to step up in crucial situations, as they did in the series against the BlackCaps to win 3-1.

"Due to the strength of the group, we had to make some difficult decisions regarding world-class players, with Jason Roy being left out and Harry Brook being added," he added.Due to Ben Stokes's selection, Harry Brook was left off the preliminary World Cup squad.

Ben Stokes, a veteran all-rounder for England, made a sensational return to ODI cricket and signaled his intent to travel to India for the coveted tournament. However, Harry Brook, who had been the leading contender for a position in the World Cup squad, was forced to miss out. Now, with Roy being ruled out, Brook will seek to avail most of the opportunities he gets during the mega event in India.