Oval Invincibles captain excited by new format and opportunities for young players to learn
McCullum’s innings against Royal Challengers Bangalore set the tone for the tournament’s success as he hit 10 fours and 13 sixes to launch it into mainstream attention back in 2008, and Billings – who will captain the Invincibles against Manchester Originals – said that the occasion would provide Roy and Jacks, their likely opening partnership, with an opportunity to do the same for the Hundred.
“I would definitely like to be the guy but I think we’ve got quite a few guys in the dressing room who will want to be that main man,” Billings said. “We’ve seen what Jason can obviously in the T20Is [against Pakistan]. He’s done it for a long time and he does enjoy being the main guy. As an opening batter, like McCullum, he provides the fireworks.
“Will Jacks has been in the form of his life for Surrey. It could really be that launchpad for him: first men’s game, showcased at The Oval. It’ll be really exciting to see what he can do and catapult himself to another level. That’s what we’ll see throughout the tournament, these young guys, against the best players in the world. Anyone can make a name for themselves, and how good is that?”
Billings’ own preparation for the tournament has hardly been ideal – he was one of the England limited-overs players to test positive for Covid-19 after the third ODI against Sri Lanka, sending the whole squad into self-isolation – but the time he has spent away from the game has given him the opportunity to make some plans for the Invincibles’ campaign.
“Over the next couple of days it’ll be interesting to get the thoughts of the other guys and how the team view the new format,” he said. “We’re the first men’s game to give it a go and the teams that will progress are the ones that will learn quickly. It’s still cricket, isn’t it? The fundamentals of the game don’t change.
“It’s incredibly exciting because we’ve had to wait for so long, really. We were talking in the changing room just now and saying it’s a really cool new environment. It’s a franchise competition essentially, where you have a real mix of people you don’t normally play with and normally play against. Guys like Sunil Narine. Colin Ingram… it’s been brilliant.
“Especially for guys who haven’t necessarily had that exposure around the world in those competitions, it’s going to be so good for them and everyone will learn so much. I’ve benefited from being in those environments hugely over the last few years. Someone like Jordan Cox, an exciting talent I’ve spent a lot of time with at Kent, he could really fly on the back of being around this experience.
“The best thing about it is the whole competition is being launched by the women’s game – that’s on Wednesday and we’ll all be tuning into that. There are definitely things we can pick up from that, certain tactical decisions that will or won’t work. It’s an advantage to have a sneak preview – it can only be a good thing for us. We are one team, two squads, but one team. Being aligned with the women’s game is huge for the sport and what we want to do moving forward.”
“Saq and I did a Lions trip together to Dubai about three years ago against Pakistan A,” Billings said. “[Mohammad] Rizwan was playing and Saqi was the best bowler. He bowls with genuine heat, very very skilful and it’s great to see him showcasing what he can do. It’s just been a matter of opportunity and having a run of games.
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98