THE England selectors might have made their feelings about Kevin Pietersen very clear but if they are looking for the next generation of international batsmen they need to take another look at the Oval.
The form of Jason Roy has been hard to miss this season, hitting half-centuries in seven of Surrey's NatWest T20 Blast games, including an unbeaten 81 in the ten-wicket win over Sussex in June.
The Reigate resident has long been one to watch at the Oval but despite calls from team-mates for international recognition, Roy has not been named in an England squad since his inclusion in the Performance Programme Squad for 2011-12.
But team-mate Rory Burns believes the 23-year-old will soon hard to ignore for the ECB when it comes to selecting their next limited overs national squad.
"I would say on current form he is one of the best Twenty20 batsmen in the country and should 100 per cent be considered for the next Twenty20 international," Burns said. "Jason is obviously having a very good season. I think he has matured a little in his play and he is reaping the benefits of it.
"If he keeps doing what he's doing at the moment; keeps churning out the scores, keeps replicating this form, then I'm sure it will come."
While Roy's England credentials might be the talk of Surrey, with Pietersen and Jade Dernbach both publicly supporting him via Twitter, he is not the only 23-year-old batsman at the Oval with international ambitions.
A very different style of cricketer to Roy, Burns has been opening the batting for Surrey's County Championship side for the last two summers after coming through the ranks at Banstead Cricket Club.
Burns was a shining light in a dim season for Surrey in 2013, winning the County Championship breakthrough player award, and has followed that up with some more consistent batting this season, including a huge 199 against Gloucestershire in June.
And Roy believes he should be sharing the England attention with his friend and team-mate.
"Rory's very consistent; when he does well he continues to do well and we're lucky to have a player like him at Surrey," Roy said.
"He's done very well and he just needs to go about his business and be patient.
"He's a good friend of mine and an exceptionally talented boy; I would be surprised if he doesn't get called up [by the ECB] at some point."
