Thursday 25 August 2016 15:02, UK
Opener Jason Roy is putting himself firmly in the frame for England's winter tours of Bangladesh and India, says Sir Ian Botham.
Man-of-the-match Roy continued his impressive one-day form by striking 65 off 56 balls as England overcame Pakistan by 44 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the rain-hit first one-day international at the Ageas Bowl, on Wednesday.
The Surrey opener admits he must continue to score heavily to achieve his aim of winning a place in England's Test team and Botham told Sky Sports that he has the right work ethic to keep improving.
"He has a reputation for being hard on himself because he sets the benchmark very high, which is good," said the former England captain and all-rounder.
"A little bit of that has come from playing with people like Joe Root, who is a perfectionist who wants to be the best.
"Root works at things and if he's had a problem - for example against left-arm spin - you'll find that he'll come up with a way to deal with it.
"That's the kind of player he is - he'll work on his weaknesses and I think Roy is very much the same.
"Roy has clearly got a lot of ability; you can see that from the way he punches and times the ball. One six he hit over square leg seemed effortless.
"He's an exciting player and he's doing himself a lot of good for the upcoming winter."
Roy called for medical attention after feeling light-headed running between the wickets after scoring 20 from 14 balls, his dizzy spell subsequently attributed to low sugar levels.
The Surrey opener received one life after resuming - wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed calling for, but spilling a towering top-edge that was heading straight down Umar Gul's throat at short fine leg.
Thereafter Roy's stroke-play was brutal in its efficiency as he racked up six fours and one six in a powerful 88-minute knock.
"His confidence in his batting is reflected in his fielding; he's by far the most active of the England fielders - he's either at backward point or extra cover," said Botham.
"When you get into a rich vein of form, such as he's in, then your whole game. Some of the shots he played were superb; they weren't much more than prods but he times the ball so well that the ball goes for four."
Watch the second ODI between England and Pakistan live on Sky Sports 2 this Saturday from 10am.
