Jason Roy posted a note to clear the air about the news regarding the termination of his contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board
(ECB) on Thursday. According to reports, Roy was considering terminating his contract with ECB to play in USA's upcoming T20 franchise cricket tournament Major Cricket League (MLC) as the star player was getting a lucrative offer. He has been reportedly offered a £300,000 two-year contract to play in the league.
"Following a bit of unwanted speculation over the last 24 hours, I wanted to clarify that I am not and never will walk away from England," Roy expressed in his social media post.
"Representing my country continues to be my proudest moment as a professional cricketer. I hope to play for England for many more years, that remains my priority," he added.
Roy further gave an update about his discussion with ECB regarding his participation in MLC.
"I've had clear and supportive conversations with the ECB about participating in Major League Cricket. The ECB was happy with me playing in the competition as long as they didn’t have to pay me for the remainder of the contractual year," he said.
Roy also added that the tournament is not clashing with England's schedule and he expressed how the upcoming World Cup in October-November is important for him.
"As a single-format player with no central contract, I wanted to take the opportunity to play in 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," he further added.
"Just to be very clear, my priority is England cricket, especially with a World Cup soon upon us. It is for me, and for any player, the greatest honour to receive a cap to play for their country," he concluded.
Jason Roy to play for LA Knight Rider in MLC
It has been reported by ESPNcricinfo that Roy is expected to play for LA Knight Riders in MLC 2023. Los Angeles-based franchise is owned by Knight Riders Group, who also owns two-time IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders, teams in Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and International T20 League (ILT20). Roy is understood to have held discussions with KKR during IPL 2023 regarding the same.
