English wicketkeeper Sam Billings has penned a three-year deal with the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League amid growing frustrations with the overlapping scheduling of domestic T20 leagues.
On Thursday, the 32-year-old became the first men’s cricketer to sign for the Big Bash under the new multi-year contract option, which allows players to negotiate with teams directly rather than nominating for the draft. New Zealand leg-spinner Amelia Kerr also committed to the Women’s Big Bash League under the same contracting mechanism earlier this week, signing a three-year deal with the Sydney Sixers.
The multi-year contracts offer security that can’t be provided in the draft system, ensuring the BBL’s overseas talent remains for the duration of the competition.
Last season, several international players missed the finals campaign due to prior commitments at South Africa’s SA20 and the United Arab Emirates’ ILT20. Billings, who represented the Brisbane Heat for the previous two Big Bash campaigns, watched from Dubai as the Queensland-based franchise won its first BBL title in 11 years.
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“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 schedule has brought the integrity of T20 leagues under scrutiny because some players can participate in an additional high-paying tournament if their club doesn’t qualify for the finals.
“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 represented England in all three formats, donned lime green for 20 BBL matches between 2020 and 2022, scoring 544 runs at 34.00 with a strike rate of 148.22. Before making his Big Bash debut for the Sydney Sixers in 2016, Billings played a season of club cricket with Penrith during the 2013/14 summer.
“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, who recently became a father, retired from red-ball cricket last year to focus on T20 commitments, including The Hundred and the T20 Blast. Last week, the right-hander smacked a 54-ball century during Kent’s T20 contest against Somerset in Canterbury, leading his side towards a four-wicket victory.
Despite missing selection for this year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States of America, Billings declared he would “love” the opportunity 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 a rebuilding phase after finishing bottom of the BBL ladder last season, winning just one of their ten group-stage matches.
The Sydney-based club signed teenage prodigy Sam Konstas on a two-year contract earlier this week, while newly-appointed general manager Trent Copeland is confident he can lure superstar David Warner back for another season.
The Thunder, who secured the No. 3 pick during this week’s weighted lottery, could also retain English opener Alex Hales if he nominates for the Draft, which is expected to be held in September.