Sam Billings called up to 30-man provisional England World Cup squad
Thursday 11th December 2014
Kent wicketkeeper Sam Billingshas been added to the 30-man England World Cup squad to face Sri Lanka.
The 23-year-old Kent Cricket Academy graduate will join James Tredwell in the initial selection which will be reduced to 15 for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand in February and March 2015.
Billings replaces Somerset gloveman Craig Kieswetter who is taking an extended break to recover from an eye injury.
The Spitfire Kent Cricket Player of the Year for 2014 will have a chance to stake his claim on the England Lions tour in South Africa next month, which will also feature Kent spinner Adam Riley.
Kent captain Rob Key said: "He's obviously a very good player, and last year was a breakout year for him.
England's 30-man provisional squad for Cricket World Cup 2015:Alastair Cook (Essex, captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Sam Billings (Kent), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jack Brooks (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Harry Gurney (Nottinghamshire), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Stephen Parry (Lancashire), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), James Taylor (Nottinghamshire), James Tredwell (Kent), James Vince (Hampshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Luke Wright (Sussex).