Roy ends England deal to play T20 cricket in USA

Batting star Jason Roy is ending his England contract to play in the first season of Major League Cricket in the United States.

The aggressive opener, who has just returned from a stint with Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, reportedly has an offer from their affiliated MLC franchise, the Los Angeles Knight Riders.

It is understood the 32-year-old has been offered about £300,000 ($370,000) for the first two seasons of the new American Twenty20 competition, which launches in July.

Roy was dropped from England’s central contract list last year, downgraded to an incremental deal worth between £60,000 and £70,000.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement on Thursday that it had agreed for Roy to play in the US “on the proviso that he gives up the remainder of his ECB incremental contract, which both parties have agreed to”.