Former England captain Allan Lamb reckons the upcoming Ashes will reveal whether opener Jason Roy can succeed in the long format as he will be tested against Australia over the next two months.
The Surrey batsman was a vital cog in England’s triumphant World Cup winning campaign, scoring 443 runs in seven innings at an average of 63.29. But he struggled to replicate his white ball form when he came up against Ireland’s seamers with the Duke’s Ball on debut, falling for just 5 in the first innings. His half-century (72) in the second innings came on the back nightwatchman Jack Leach and opener Rory Burns had played out the new ball.
“I think there is still a question mark on whether Roy can play Test match cricket. The Ashes will be a big test for him and it will be interesting to see how he copes with batting for long periods of time against a quality attack,” Lamb told TOI.
“Steve is a world-class player who knows how to motivate people,” said Lamb. “The last time Australia won the Ashes in England was under his captaincy, and Langer has made a clever move by bringing him into the dressing room.”
While World Cup victory was massive for the country, Lamb asserted that white-ball form doesn’t translate to success with the red ball.
“While it was a big relief to see England win the World Cup, one shouldn’t compare the two formats. The Test against Ireland was a wake-up call. England will have their focus firmly on the Ashes and not on anything else,” Lamb said.
