England wicket-keeper Sam Billings has signed a three-year contract with Big Bash League side Sydney Thunder amid growing frustration over overlapping schedules in the domestic T20 league.
The 32-year-old on Thursday became the first male cricketer to sign for the Big Bash under a new multi-year contract option that will allow players to negotiate directly with their teams instead of picking them in the draft. New Zealand leg-spinner Amelia Kerr also signed a three-year deal with the Sydney Sixers earlier this week, joining the Women’s Big Bash League under the same contract mechanism.
Multi-year contracts provide security that a draft system cannot provide, ensuring that the BBL’s overseas talent is retained for the duration of the competition.
Last season saw several international players miss out on the finals campaign due to prior commitments in SA20 in South Africa and ILT20 in the United Arab Emirates. Billings, who represented Brisbane Heat in the previous two Big Bash campaigns, watched from Dubai as the Queensland-based franchise won their first BBL title in 11 years.
Get all the latest cricket news, highlights and analysis straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Register now!
“Last year’s Big Bash lost so many players in the final that it was not only detrimental to the players but also to the competition,” Billings told reporters on Thursday.
“Overall it was very disappointing. We want to play to the end for our team and win the competition.
“Last year was an unusual year because we already had other deals in place around the world, but this system allows us to focus on one tournament and when it’s over we can move on to the next.”
The integrity of the T20 league has come under scrutiny due to overlapping schedules. This is because some players may be eligible to participate in additional high-stakes tournaments if their club fails to reach the finals.
“It really shouldn’t happen,” Billings said.
“Cricket is going through a really strange trend at the moment. There are so many cricket matches out there that everyone is trying to grab a piece of the pie.
“But there has to be a way to streamline the schedule to make it more efficient. Then everyone wins in the end.
“The players are definitely playing too much. I felt the effects last year. Many players currently have difficulty doing so.
“It has to change at some point.”
Billings, who has represented England in all three formats, has donned lime green in 20 BBL matches between 2020 and 2022, scoring 544 runs at 34.00 and a strike rate of 148.22. Billings played a season of club cricket with Penrith during the summer of 2013/14 before making his Big Bash debut for the Sydney Sixers in 2016.
“It’s a bit of a home away from home for me,” Billings said of western Sydney.
“You always want to go to a club that believes in you and invests in you.
“It helped me a lot.”
Billings, who recently became a father, retired from red-ball cricket last year to focus on T20 commitments, including The Hundred and T20 Blast. In Kent’s T20 against Somerset at Canterbury last week, the right-hander smashed a 54-ball century to lead his team to a four-wicket win.
Despite missing out on qualification for this year’s T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States, Billings declared he would “love” the opportunity to represent his country again.
“I spoke to (England captain) Jos (Buttler) before this World Cup and they set out to find out where I actually was,” Billings said.
“He said, ‘You are very close. ‘You are engaging in a conversation about choice.’ It’s definitely a lot closer than I thought.
“I feel like I’m playing the best cricket of my career. I’m in a really good space with my cricket.”
The Thunder are in a rebuilding phase after finishing bottom of the BBL standings last season, winning just one of their 10 group stage games.
The Sydney-based club signed teenage phenom Sam Konstas on a two-year deal earlier this week, and newly appointed general manager Trent Copeland is confident they can bring superstar David Warner back next season.
The Thunder, who secured the No. 3 pick in this week’s weighted lottery, could retain UK starter Alex Hales if he is selected in the draft, expected to be held in September.
