Batsman Jason Roy has been ruled out of England's T20I series against Pakistan.
Roy has been sidelined by a left side strain.
“The Surrey top-order batsman picked up the injury this week in the team's preparation at Old Trafford and had a scan on Wednesday,” read a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board.
England and Pakistan will meet for three T20Is in Manchester, from 28 August to 1 September.
The right-handed Roy has been capped five times at Test level. He has played 90 ODIs and 35 T20Is.
England v Australia Series
Whether he will be fit enough for September's three T20Is and as many ODIs against Australia remains in the balance.
“He will remain with the England set-up and will commence his rehabilitation programme, looking ahead to the Australia white-ball series, which starts next month,” added the ECB.
Prior to August, Roy hadn't played professional cricket since March. He was with the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League at the time, when the coronavirus pandemic halted several tournaments.
“I just want to play some cricket to be honest. I think for us to be able to go out there and play some cricket would be an incredible feeling. I feel like a kid again. I guess we're governed by the government here, we don't really know what is going on or what the safety measures are,” he said recently.
Roy Around the World
Tournaments like the Caribbean Premier League and Indian Premier League are being played without spectators this year. This is a preventative measure against the spread of the virus.
“There's way bigger things out there. I'm more than happy to play behind closed doors, it would just be nice to get out there and play again,” said Roy.
The 30-year-old has represented several franchises in domestic T20 tournaments around the world, including:
- Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Lions in the Indian Premier League;
- Nelson Mandela Bay Giants in the Mzansi Super League;
- Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League;
- Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League; and
- Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League.
