Ben Foakes blueprint inspiring England Lions during winter tour, says Sam Billings

The instant impact of Ben Foakes on the international scene will provide inspiration for England Lions this winter, says Sam Billings.

Billings is a senior figure on the tour looking to prove his Test credentials alongside Jason Roy and Mark Wood when the Lions take on Pakistan A in the UAE in a first-class match from Sunday. He believes the time spent honing his technique in foreign conditions in the Lions by Foakes — who went on 10 second-string tours, starting aged 19 — is the blueprint.

“It’s a really exciting opportunity for us,” he said. “I’ve wanted to push my case, because there’s been an imbalance in what I’ve played, due to white-ball franchises and international squads.

“I’ve been starved of red-ball cricket a little bit. It’s nice to do both and it’ll be great for my cricket.

“To experience different conditions can only help. You look at how Foakesy has gone after a lot of Lions trips, he shows how beneficial it can be.”

England’s new-found open-minded attitude towards how a player arrives at Test cricket also provides hope for Roy and Billings, who have played little Championship cricket in recent years. That changed for Billings this year, as he played eight game when captaining Kent to promotion. At the end of the season, when sitting down with national selector Ed Smith, he was encouraged to no longer settle for carrying drinks.

“Kent this year brought the joy back for me,” he said. “I loved playing day in, day out. I’d had a stop-start couple of years. I’ve had a consistent run of games and that helps so much.

“There are lots of different ways in, Jos [Buttler] through the IPL, others through Championship, Adil [Rashid] in white-ball internationals, there’s no set path as long as you can perform on a high stage. I want to be a top-class cricketer who wins in all formats. No one wants to be pigeonholed as a T20 slogger. I’m better than that and I want to prove it.”