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Sam Billings is fed up with warming England’s bench and is looking for the clarity a central contract would guarantee after featuring in all three international formats over the past six months.
Billings, 30, was a surprise omission from the list of 20 names announced by the ECB last October and did not feature amongst the four increment contracts, either.
The purpose of the revised contracts - which from this year uniformly cover Test and white-ball players - is to reward those individuals who the management team foresee playing significant parts over the following 12-month period.
Sam Billings has featured in all three international formats for England over past six months
However, the Kent captain has regularly answered SOS calls since making his England debut seven years ago and after completing a 12,500-mile dash from a debut in the final Ashes Test in Hobart via four connecting flights to get onto the field for this weekend’s Twenty20 double header versus West Indies in Barbados, he has declared himself ready to be a more permanent fixture.
And that he would benefit from the security and confidence which emanates from a central contract.
‘This is a really interesting time for me as a cricketer,’ said Billings. ‘I feel like, especially with the form I’ve shown in the Big Bash and in the last couple of years for Kent, I’m playing my best cricket.
‘Moving forward I’ve just got to play. I can’t be sat on the bench. I’ve done enough time doing that. I feel like I can offer a lot, whether it’s with the red ball or the white ball.’
