Ashes 2021-22: Sam Billings Receives England Call-up Ahead Of The Fifth And Final Test In Hobart

England cricket team has added Sam Billings to their Test squad for the fifth and final Test of the Ashes series set to begin on January 14 in Hobart. Billings hasn’t made his red-ball debut just yet but might get an opportunity in the final game.

He is already in Australia playing for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL) and can therefore join up with the squad very soon. Billings will have to complete isolation and return a negative result in his RT-PCR test before entering the bio-bubble.

England is set to travel to West Indies very soon for their tour and Billings is part of that squad. It is completely different from the Ashes squad and Billings might have to scurry back after the Test series to join the white-ball team.

Jonny Bairstow, who scored a blistering century on Day 3 of the SCG Test, sustained a blow on his thumb during the knock. He may be unable to take the gloves from Jos Buttler, who is expected to be left out of the playing XI for the fifth Test at Blundstone Arena.

“I don’t know as yet to be really honest with you. I’ll know some more information tomorrow. I’m not sure about the keeping side of things. So but from a batting point of view, I’ll be out there in the morning,” Bairstow said after his knock.

England squad for Ashes:

Joe Root (captain), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Sam Billings.

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