Surrey batsman Jason Roy is raring to go after linking up with England Lions, following a brief spell playing for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.
Roy featured in just three games in the Big Bash, but has spoken very highly of his experience which he feels will set him up well for playing alongside his Lions team-mates once again, after he overcomes his jet-lag that is.
Speaking exclusively to ecb.co.uk, Roy said:“I’ve spent 17 hours sitting on a plane, with a lot of hanging around and delays, but coming in and getting to see the boys again is awesome.
“They’re a great bunch of boys and they’re all in high spirits so I’m looking forward to the one-day series.”
The Lions, who are currently playing their final ‘Test’ against South Africa A, face the same opposition on Sunday in the first of the one-day matches, again at Bloemfontein.
Roy is expecting a tough series after being impressed by the strength and quality of the opposition in the short time he has been with the squad.
“They look a very good, tight-knit unit," he said.
“Their bowlers look very, very good. They don’t look like they give you much rubbish so (I’m) looking forward to it. I’m sure its going to be a very hard-fought couple of games.”
Roy was speaking after travelling straight to Chevrolet Park from Sydney.
Although his Big Bash stint yielded only 18 runs in three innings, Roy is keen to go back for more.
“It’s a great comp, great to get a little gig in it – it was only three games but it was a great experience for me,” he said.
“(I) met some awesome people, they’re a very welcoming team and I just really enjoyed it. Sydney is obviously an incredible place and hopefully I'll get to go back next year.”
Meanwhile back home, his county have announced the arrival of Kumar Sangakkara as their overseas player, and Roy is certain the Sri Lanka legend will be a big hit with the players.
The Surrey star said: “It’s a good experience for us. Quite a few of us have been able to deal with the likes of Ponting, Amla, all those boys.
“It will be a great experience for all those involved and hopefully he can win a few games for us.”
Good to be in SA again, looooong flight! Straight back into training tomorrow
— Jason Roy (@JasonRoy20) January 19, 2015