Tom Kohler- Cadmore joins England's ODI squad as Jason Roy opts out 

In a surprising turn of events, Jason Roy has opted out of representing England's second-string side in the upcoming ODI series against Ireland. This decision comes as a direct result of the disappointment he experienced when he was unexpectedly excluded from the final World Series squad. Roy's omission from the squad dealt a significant blow to his morale, prompting him to decline the opportunity to participate in the Ireland series.

England's star batsman, Joe Root, has chosen to rest for the upcoming week, along with his fellow teammates from the World Series squad. Root's intention to fine-tune his skills against Ireland was thwarted by unfavorable weather conditions in Leeds. Consequently, the uncapped Somerset batter, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, has been called up as a replacement and will join the squad for the Ireland series.

Roy had initially been named in England's provisional 15-man squad last month. However, due to back spasms that plagued him on the mornings of two out of four matches in the ODI series against New Zealand, he was unable to participate. Harry Brook was brought in as a replacement for Roy on Sunday.

Luke Wright, England's national selector, revealed that Roy had been given the choice to be involved in the Ireland series. Wright clarified that Roy's decision would not impact his position as England's top-order batting reserve for the World Series. This means that Roy would remain on standby at home in the event of an injury to either Jonny Bairstow or Dawid Malan.

Wright stated, "He [Roy] wasn't anticipating being part of the Ireland squad, and then to receive the news that he would miss out on the World Series was a significant blow to him. We have assured Jason that his decision to play or not play against Ireland will not affect his standing as our batting reserve at the top of the order."

Prior to his exclusion from the World Series squad, Roy hinted that he is unlikely to continue playing international cricket after the tournament. He anticipated a "changing of the guard" within the team. Roy also expressed his openness to a multi-franchise deal with the Kolkata Knight Riders, his IPL franchise, having previously represented their Major T20 League affiliate, LA Knight Riders, earlier this year.

England has made it clear that Roy will still be considered for future selection. However, it increasingly appears that he may have played his final innings in international cricket. There is a possibility that he may choose to depart from English cricket altogether and pursue opportunities in Major T20 League and the Caribbean T20 League, rather than participating in domestic tournaments such as the Blast and the Hundred.

Root's decision to rest for the remaining fixtures in the Ireland series has provided a maiden call-up for Tom Kohler-Cadmore. The talented batsman, currently representing Somerset in their County Championship fixture against Kent at Taunton, will join the England squad ahead of the second ODI scheduled for Saturday.

Kohler-Cadmore has made a strong impression across formats in his debut season with Somerset, following his departure from Yorkshire at the end of last summer. He played a crucial role in Somerset's triumph in the Blast, averaging 34.92 with an impressive strike rate of 160.32. Furthermore, he is currently the team's second-highest run-scorer in the Championship.

It is worth noting that Kohler-Cadmore faced a setback in 2019 when the ECB blacklisted him from national selection. This action was taken in light of revelations during the trial of his former Worcestershire teammate, Alex Hepburn, who was subsequently convicted of rape. Kohler-Cadmore's involvement in a WhatsApp chat with Hepburn and Joe Clarke, characterized by the judge as "pathetic" and "sexist," led to his temporary exclusion. However, he was reinstated in the Lions set-up the following winter, as he was not implicated in any criminal wrongdoing.