June 14, 2024

Sam Billings Joins Sydney Thunder on Three-Year Deal Amid T20 Frustrations

Growing irritated with the clashing schedules of local Twenty20 tournaments, English wicketkeeper Sam Billings inked a three-year deal with the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.

The 32-year-old became the first male cricketer to sign a multi-year deal with a BBL team under the new system, which allows players to negotiate directly with teams rather than entering the Draft. Earlier this week, New Zealand leg-spinner Amelia Kerr signed a similar three-year contract with the Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League.

These multi-year contracts provide security that the draft system cannot offer, ensuring international players stay for the entire competition.

Due to obligations in the SA20 in South Africa and the ILT20 in the UAE, a number of international players missed the BBL finals the previous season. Billings, who played for the Brisbane Heat in the last two Big Bash seasons, watched from Dubai as the team clinched its first BBL title in 11 years.

“Last year, with the Big Bash losing a lot of players in finals time, that was detrimental not only for players, but also for the competition,” Billings told reporters on Thursday.

“It was very disappointing all around. We want to play for a team all the way through and win a competition.

“Last year was an anomaly because we had already committed to other contracts around the world … but with this system, it allows you to focus in on one tournaments, then when it finishes, you can move on to the next.”

The overlapping schedules of various T20 leagues have sparked concerns about these tournaments’ integrity and competitive balance. With multiple leagues running simultaneously, players face increasing pressure to choose between commitments. This often leads to questions about whether they can fully dedicate themselves to a particular team throughout the season, especially as they balance the allure of lucrative offers from other competitions.

These concerns are heightened when teams fail to qualify for the finals. In such cases, players might be tempted to leave mid-season and join high-paying tournaments elsewhere, undermining the overall fairness and continuity of the league. The prospect of players frequently switching teams or leagues for financial gain challenges the stability and long-term success of many T20 competitions worldwide.

“It just shouldn’t happen really,” Billings continued.

“Cricket’s in a really weird state of flux at the moment. There’s so much cricket going on, and everyone’s trying to grab a piece of the pie.

“But there has to be a way of streamlining the schedule to make it way more efficient. Ultimately then, everyone wins.

“Players certainly are playing too much. I felt the effects of that last year … a lot of players struggle with doing that right now.

“It has to change at some point.”

Billings, who has played for England across all three formats, appeared in lime green for 20 BBL matches from 2020 to 2022, amassing 544 runs at an average of 34.00 and a strike rate 148.22. Before his Big Bash debut with the Sydney Sixers in 2016, he spent the 2013/14 summer playing club cricket with Penrith.

“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 where they believe in you and invest in you.

“That was a huge draw for me.”

Billings recently welcomed a new child and retired from red-ball cricket last year to concentrate on T20 formats, including The Hundred and the T20 Blast. Last week, he scored a remarkable century off 54 balls in Kent’s T20 match against Somerset in Canterbury, guiding his team to a four-wicket victory.

Despite not being selected for this year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States, Billings expressed his strong desire to represent his country again.

“I had a conversation with (England captain) Jos (Buttler) prior to this World Cup before they headed out just to gauge where I’m at really,” Billings said.

“He was saying, ‘You are very close, you’re in the conversations around selection.’ Certainly a lot closer than I thought I was.

“I feel like I’m playing some of the best cricket I’ve played in my career … I’m in a really good space with my own cricket.”

The Thunder are in the midst of a rebuilding phase after a challenging season where they finished at the bottom of the BBL ladder, managing just one win from their ten group-stage matches.

Earlier this week, the Sydney-based club signed teenage sensation Sam Konstas to a two-year contract. Trent Copeland, the recently hired general manager, is hopeful that superstar David Warner will return for a second season.

In addition, the Thunder secured the No. 3 pick in this week’s weighted lottery, positioning them to strengthen their roster. They may also retain English opener Alex Hales if he is nominated for the upcoming Draft, which is expected to be held in September.

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