• Sam Billings has been added to England's squad for the final Ashes Test against Australia.

  • Billings is yet to make his debut in Test cricket.

England draft Sam Billings in their Ashes squad for Hobart Test
Sam Billings (Pic Source: Twitter)

England have added Sam Billings to their Ashes squad as a back-up wicketkeeper for the fifth and final Test in Hobart.

Billings has been drafted as cover for the injured Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Friday evening.

Buttler suffered a blow on his left hand’s index finger during the ongoing fourth Test in Sydney on Thursday, while Bairstow batted through pain en route to his gritty hundred after being hit on the thumb by a Pat Cummins delivery on Friday morning.

When questioned about the extent of his injury, Bairstow said: “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.”

Meanwhile, Billings was set to fly back to the UK on Thursday before England’s T20I series against West Indies later this month but will now join his national team in Sydney, subject to a period of isolation and a negative Covid-19 Test.

Billings averages 34.29 in first-class cricket and has played 58 white-ball matches for England. He is likely to make his Test debut in Hobart by replacing either of the two injured wicketkeeper-batters.

TAGS:

CATEGORY: Ashes Sam Billings

For latest cricket news and updates, subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter.

About the Author:
Anirudh is the Head of Content at CricketTimes.com. He is a seasoned journalist and content writer with 12 years of experience in the field of cricket. With over 9,000 published articles under his belt, Anirudh brings a creative and strategic approach to his work, always striving to deliver content that resonates with audiences. A die-hard sports fan who loves playing, watching and talking about cricket. Cricket is his Religion & 'Sachin Tendulkar' his GOD. His motto of life is Eat, Sleep, Cricket, REPEAT!! You can write to him at anirudh@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin.