Sam Billings to take a break from franchise cricket after South Africa tour omission

What's the story?

English wicket-keeper batsman, Sam Billings has taken a break from franchise cricket after being overlooked for the limited-overs leg of the South Africa tour. The 28-year-old made his decision public via a tweet on Saturday (14th December).

The background

The Kent-born player had made his T20I debut for England in 2015. He played 26 T20s for England, aggregating 348 runs at an average of 17.40. Donning the gloves behind the wicket for England, Billings had taken 15 catches and executed 1 stumping. He registered two fifties in his career however, he had lost his touch in the last few games.

He was a part of the English T20I squad that played a 5-match series against New Zealand last month. Billings got a chance to bat in all the five games but failed to impress. Hence, the selectors dropped him for the white-ball series against South Africa.

Also see – BPL Most Runs 2019

The heart of the matter

On a personal level, I have chosen to pull out of any franchise cricket this winter as well to focus/freshen up for a big year with @KentCricket . Very fortunate to have played all over the last few years & a break from the game to refresh I feel is the best decision 👍🏼 (2/2)

— Sam Billings (@sambillings) December 13, 2019

After being overlooked by the English selectors, Billings took a big decision and announced his withdrawal from franchise cricket. He sent out a tweet earlier today which read as follows:

"All the best to the lads heading to South Africa. Huge amount of depth esp in the white ball game atm. Of course disappointed not to be involved but wish the boys all the best. Will be working hard to get back in the mix in the near future! On a personal level, I have chosen to pull out of any franchise cricket this winter as well to focus/freshen up for a big year with @KentCricket. Very fortunate to have played all over the last few years & a break from the game to refresh I feel is the best decision."

What's next?

It will be interesting to see if Billings can return to the English T20I squad before the 2020 T20 World Cup.