Wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings was, on Friday (January 7), added to the England Test squad for the fifth and final Test of the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 in Australia, to be played in Hobart.
Billings has been named in England’s Ashes squad as cover should any players be ruled out due to COVID-19 ahead of the fifth and final Test, which begins on January 14 at Blundstone Arena, Hobart.
He is already in Australia, playing for Sydney Thunder in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL 11), and can join the England squad very soon. However, the keeper will have to complete isolation and return a negative result in his RT-PCR test before entering the bio-bubble.
Earlier, the 30-year-old was due to fly back to England on Friday to join England’s T20I squad for their upcoming tour of the Caribbean, but he will now join the Test squad in Sydney.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement: “(Billings) was due to fly to the UK this evening ahead of England's T20I tour of the Caribbean. He will now join the Test party in Sydney after a period of isolation in the team hotel subject to receiving a negative PCR test result.”
Notably, the Kent cricketer hasn’t made his Test debut and he might get an opportunity in the final Ashes Test in Hobart as the regular wicket-keeper Jos Buttler is struggling with a hand problem while Jonny Bairstow injured his thumb while scoring 103* on day three in Sydney.
Bairstow said about the extent of his injury: “I don't know as yet... I'll know some more information tomorrow. I'm not sure about the keeping side of things. But from a batting point of view, I'll be out there in the morning.”
England Squad for 5th Ashes Test:
Joe Root (captain), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Sam Billings.
(With Reuters Inputs)
