Sam Billings Opens Up On Picking PSL Over England

image-lezfm9cwBillings picked Franchise cricket over England duties [Twitter]

With the increase in T20 Leagues, players have been torn between picking between national and club cricket. England's wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings recently chose to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) over England's white-ball tour of Bangladesh, igniting the debate once again.

Billings, preferred the PSL 8, after being guaranteed a spot in the playing XI by Lahore Qalandars. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, the former KKR player revealed that his decision not to play in Bangladesh was made after talks with Rob Key and Jos Buttler.

So far, in five PSL 8 matches, Billings has scored 136 runs.

Several non-ECB contracted players are seen playing franchise cricket over national duties.

Billings further stated that the competition within the England white-ball side is at an all-time high, and his place in the side is not a surety for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023.

Here's what Billings said

"It wasn't that I made myself unavailable. I had a long chat with Rob Key [England's managing director] and Jos Buttler, and I felt the stage of my career I'm at, I need to be playing cricket.


At my age, I just need to be playing cricket and enjoying my cricket. It's such a complex situation because guys who aren't contracted are severely losing out when it comes to the kind of playing in these tournaments, or not playing in this tournament,"

To remain in contention for the WC squad, Billings opted to pull out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season and play County Cricket for Kent before leading the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred Men's.

The 31-year-old maintained that he wants to play as much cricket as possible in the remainder of his career.