Sam Billings, who was just 90 minutes away from flying back home, received a call-up in England’s Ashes squad for the fifth Test.
The 30-year-old was all set to catch a flight back home to the United Kingdom after finishing his stint in the Big Bash League with Sydney Thunder. But in a dramatic turn of events, with both Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow suffering hand injuries, he was called up as a wicketkeeping cover.
The England and Wales Cricket Board had earlier asked the players who are part of the upcoming T20 series against West Indies to leave the BBL early to prepare for the tour of the Caribbean. Billings, who received a surprise call-up, took a nine-hour car drive from Brisbane to Sydney, where he will undergo an isolation period in the team hotel.
Billings, who is yet to make the Test debut, has previously spoken about his red-ball ambitions for England. He has 3327 runs in First-Class cricket from 77 matches at an average of 34.29, including six hundreds. He has played 25 ODIs and 33 T20Is for the Three Lions.
The player looks likely to don the wicket-keeping gloves at Hobart next week, despite Ollie Pope putting in an impressive display as a stand-in keeper on day four. Pope equalled the record for the most dismissals as a substitute player with four catches.
Buttler, who has had a torrid series with the bat and a mixed one behind the stumps, was dismissed for an eight-ball duck in the first innings. Reportedly, he was struggling to grip the bat after suffering an injury while keeping on day two.
Bairstow smashed a fantastic century in the first innings but suffered a blow to his right thumb from Pat Cummins during that knock. With Ben Stokes also sustaining the side strain, which three of Bairstow, Stokes, Billings and Pope get a go will be interesting to see.
“Obviously Stokes’ injury is not a great one, being an all-rounder. So we’ll have to see generally what we can do with that situation once the game is finished,”
Sam Billings has been called into the group, as you’re aware, so that’s a good indicator of some of the concerns with the injuries.”
England’s assistant coach Graham Thorpe said.
