Billings settles down to middle-order future with a cool head against spin
➤ After a peripheral role since his one-day debut in 2015, the England batsman is cementing a spot for the next World Cups
In 2016, Sam Billings made an unusual decision: to do more work for less money. He was desperate to play in the Indian Premier League, and so made himself available for the lowest possible auction price.
The upshot was that, because of a complex arrangement whereby county cricketers had to pay their counties for missing matches, Billings would lose money playing in the IPL.
In the end, Billings was reimbursed by the England and Wales Cricket Board. But his choice still spoke of a cricketer who craved more exposure to the best players and coaches in the world.
For the next three years, Billings’s cricketing education took him to the IPL – where he played under MS Dhoni – the Pakistan Super League, Australia’s Big Bash and even UAE’S T10 league. On the T20 circuit and with England, Billings was valued for his attitude and his uncomplaining versatility.
As he travelled the world, perhaps the only thing Billings lacked was the chance to play regular cricket. With Chennai and England, he was a valued squad member but never one to command a regular place. After playing all five of England’s one-day internationals in his maiden series against New Zealand in 2015, Billings played just 10 ODIS over the following five years. Even when he did get an opportunity, it was not in the same role, oscillating between specialist No7, opener and then keeper-batsman at six.
If cricketers rely upon rhythm, Billings was denied the chance to develop one, even before missing four months – and the possibility of a World Cup squad place – with a dislocated shoulder last year.
“In the past, I have come in for the odd game here or there and put way too much pressure on myself,” he says. “It has been very up and down over the last five years.”
And so, over the past two winters, Billings has made a conscious decision to step back from the franchise scene, even pulling out of this year’s IPL auction. At 29, it is time for him to learn by playing.
“It’s very hard to come in for the odd game here or there and hit the ground running,” he says. “For me, the opportunities have been sporadic … You have to be playing cricket.” Eoin Morgan has made it clear that, as England build to 2023, they still have time for experienced players who have been on the periphery. And there is a sense that Billings’s skills may be uniquely wellsuited to two of the next three World Cups – one
T20 World Cup, in either
2021 or 2022, and the 50over World Cup in 2023
– being in India.
“That’s something I can potentially offer compared to other players, my game against spin, benefiting from all the different franchise experiences,” Billings says. “I back my game against spin.”
A vignette from England’s run chase on Thursday distilled his qualities. Ireland off-spinner Simi Singh placed two men, a point and a short third man, for the reverse sweep. Twice in three balls Billings reverseswept the ball between the two fielders, with sweet timing and silky precision.
Few in the world play the reverse sweep so adroitly. For Billings, the shot is simultaneously a vehicle for reliable run scoring and a tool to score quickly. Across limited-overs cricket, he averages 91 playing the reverse sweep, while scoring at a strike rate of 195.
The rest of his game against spin is almost as impressive: nimble on his feet, Billings averages 48 against spin in all one-day cricket, with a strike rate of 105 – faster than Jos Buttler, and both quicker and higher than Morgan.
Before this series, Morgan had declared that one hope was that England would build their middleorder depth. This is relatively weak
because leading batsmen in domestic 50-over cricket almost all bat in the top three; Tom Banton and Joe Denly have gone from batting in the top order in county cricket to the middle order for England.
Billings is the one contender who does not suffer from this problem: his customary position for Kent in 50-over cricket is No5. His serene career best 67 not out on Thursday to marshal England’s chase invited the possibility that, as well as being first reserve behind Morgan, Ben Stokes and Buttler in the middle order, he could eventually inherit Morgan’s role as inventive player of spin and ice-cool manager of the middle overs.
“The middle-order role is a very tough one. You’ve got to be very adept, come in when you’re three or four down early on and steady the ship, or you’ve got to come in in the last five overs and everybody expects you to get 40 off 10 balls,” Billings says.
“It’s a pretty tough role, but one that I’m looking forward to making my own really. Morgs has chucked the challenge out for all of us batsmen.”
The hope is that, refreshed and with a slightly changed technique – he has worked on standing stiller and more upright at the crease and not moving his hands down when the bowler is delivering, which caused difficulties against pace – the coming years mark the full blossoming of Billings’s talent.
“I see this is actually just a starting point and I have easily my best cricket ahead of me. I have got no doubts about that.”
In another era – perhaps any other one – Billings would have long ago sailed past 50 ODI caps. His fate, shuffling in and out of the side and carrying more drinks than can be good for any cricketer, has illustrated England’s unprecedented white-ball depth. Now he eyes a chance to elevate himself from well-regarded spare part to an altogether more substantive role.