Sam Billings accepts regular England ODI spot unlikely with Ben Stokes still to return
Sam Billings has admitted he is unlikely to keep his place in the England one-day side, no matter how many runs he scores against Australia.
The 29-year-old Kent batsman scored his maiden ODI century as he hit 118 in a losing cause at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday and impressed against Ireland earlier in the summer, but with Ben Stokes still to return for Eoin Morgan’s side, it is difficult to see how he stays in the team.
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However, after injury denied him the chance of being part of England’s World Cup squad last summer, Billings, knows from personal experience that his opportunity could come at any time and is determined to be ready when it does.
“It is probably one of the hardest teams to get into in world sport at the moment,” he told Sky Sports.
“In terms of frustration I think I’ve put too much pressure on myself in those one-off games when I’ve come into the side in the past.”
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Speaking to reporters, he added: “Ben Stokes isn’t here and I don’t think, however many runs I get, that I’ll keep that spot.
“But that’s all I can do and, especially building towards the T20 stuff, there is a slot in that late middle-order, so hopefully it keeps pushing my case in that format as well.
“There are three more World Cups coming up and the lads are very keen to add to the one last year and I really want to be a part of it. It’s a huge incentive for the guys coming in to really put your marker down and your stamp down to be in the World Cup squad next year.”
Morgan praised Billings’ efforts in the series opener in Manchester but also spelled out the problem facing the batsman.
“Sam played brilliantly. Really, really well,” said Morgan.
“His opportunities over the last four years have been extremely limited and sporadic at times because the position he bats (number six) is one that myself, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler have played a lot of games in during that period.
“But today he really stood out in a spot that is really difficult to bat, where you can be thrown in at all different circumstances. I thought he and Jonny (Bairstow) did well to keep us in the game for so long and in with a genuine chance.”
Forcing his way into that world-class middle-order may seem nigh-on impossible, but Billings believes he has matured as a batsman and is doing all he can to ensure he is the man drafted in if any of the first-choice trio are missing, as Stokes is in this series.
“Form and injury, as I found out the hard way last year can happen,” he said. “As long as you are putting yourself in the position to be the next cab off the rank, you never know when these opportunities will arise.
“In the past, where I have had these opportunities, I’ve put too much pressure on myself. For me, that was the difference yesterday, at 10 off 30 balls I probably would have done something stupid and chipped it up in the air.
“Maybe a little bit more experience and a bit more confidence in my own ability at this level that I can kind of soak up that pressure. I definitely wasn’t at my most fluent but instead of trying to force the issue initially and giving away an opportunity, I’ve managed to kick on.
“All I can do is put performances in. Dawid Malan said it last week about himself as well, he hasn’t hampered his chances whatsoever and I think he has set a precedent for all of us.”
Billings also acknowledged that at times he has not given himself the best chance to show his quality, mainly due to the lack of cricket he has played, especially in T20 leagues around the world.
“It is a pretty tough team to get into at the moment, let’s be clear about that,” he added. “The white-ball batting depth in this country at the moment is pretty phenomenal.
“In that respect, yes, of course it is frustrating when you’re not playing; whether that is for England or in other competitions around the world, you want to be playing cricket. At times through no fault of anyone but myself, I’ve been starved of cricket, especially in the franchises.
“The injury last year was easily the toughest of last year, missing out potentially on the World Cup squad and that whole experience.
“That was a really tough experience to go through but in a weird way it was a really positive thing; it gave me time just to collect my thoughts on my game and where I need to improve.”
Billings will hope to press his claims again in the second ODI as England bid to level the series after an impressive Australia display in the first match.
“We know what the conditions are like, it’s going to be on the same pitch and it is still about being positive, having that positive intent towards the opposition and not taking a backwards step,” he said.
“How you do that on a pitch like that might not be going out all guns blazing and trying to hit the sightscreen every ball. But coming up with game plans of putting pressure back onto them.
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