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'Cricket is going in football way' - Fans react as Jason Roy reportedly set to cancel ECB contract to sign with Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket

Jason Roy is reportedly set to cancel ECB central contract to play franchise cricket in the United States.

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Jason Roy

Jason Roy (Source: Twitter)

Jason Roy Jason Roy (Source: Twitter)

England opening batter Jason Roy is reportedly set to cancel his central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to play franchise cricket in the Major League Cricket United States, which will begin on July 13. According to the Daily Mail, one of the most destructive batters in the English line-up has been offered a two-year contract worth around £300,000 by Los Angeles Knight Riders.

Roy's pursuit of a lucrative deal could jeopardize his place in the England squad for this year's ODI World Cup in India. The ECB is now contracting the 32-year-old on an incremental agreement until October, giving the governing body considerable influence over his schedule.

If the English cricketer decides to accept the deal and gets the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the ECB, he will become the first England player to step away from international cricket to focus on the T20 franchise league. According to reports, Roy has been in talks with ECB officials over the past few weeks about signing with the LA Knight Riders.

Roy was instrumental in England's 2019 WC win, will his absence hurt the team in the upcoming event?

Roy played a crucial role in England's team that won the 2019 ODI World Cup. He amassed 443 runs in eight tournament matches, with an outstanding average of 63.29 and a strike rate of 115.36. However, due to a slump in form, the South African-born cricketer was not selected for the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. With the kind of damage he can deliver in the powerplay, Roy can single-handedly change the game on his day and his absence in the upcoming 50-over WC will hurt Team England.

Roy was last seen on the field on 20 May at the Eden Gardens during Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) final league encounter against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), which they lost by 1 run. The KKR opener had a great campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, scoring 285 runs in 8 matches at a strike rate of 151.60. However, the Nitish Rana-led side failed to qualify for the playoffs as they finished seventh in the points table.

Here's how fans reacted to the reports: 

ECB Jason Roy England