Kent Spitfires’ skipper Sam Billings will be returning to Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League.
The tournament takes place between April 10 and May 25, ending five days before Spitfires’ first T20 Blast match against Gloucestershire.
Kent have confirmed the 33-year-old will then become available to them for the start of their T20 Blast campaign once his time in Lahore has come to an end.
In the supplementary round of the PSL draft, Billings was picked using the “Right To Match” card, which was activated against Islamabad United, on Monday.
He serves as the third wicket-keeping option for Qalandars alongside Kusal Perera, of Sri Lanka, and Pakistan’s Muhammad Akhlaq.
Billings played for Qalandars in 2023 and helped them retain the title, scoring 235 runs in 10 matches with a high-score of 54 from 35 deliveries against Multan Sultans.
Former Spitfires Adam Milne and Mohammad Nabi, of Karachi Kings, will also be taking part in the 10th edition of the competition in Pakistan.
Kent’s England international batsman Zak Crawley is playing for Eastern Cape in the 2025 SA20 competition in South Africa.
Crawley, 26, struck 27 off 18 balls in Saturday’s nine-wicket loss to Paarl Royals, having contributed 12 in a 97-run Duckworth-Lewis-Stern defeat against MI Cape Town two days earlier.
New Kent batsman Chris Benjamin is with MI Cape Town in the same competition but is yet to feature.
Billings (Sydney Thunder) – as well as Kent 2025 Australian overseas players Tom Rogers (Melbourne Renegades) and Xavier Bartlett (Brisbane Heat) – have been involved in the Australian T20 Big Bash League.
Pembury-born Billings’ top-score of 72 in 39 balls from his eight games came in an 18-run victory over Melbourne Stars during a man-of-the-match performance on December 28.
Bartlett has featured in seven Big Bash fixtures, returning best figures of 4-10 in a five-wicket defeat to Melbourne Stars, while Rogers has played in eight matches for Melbourne Renegades.
He helped them beat Perth Scorchers by four wickets with an unbeaten 49 off 31 balls last Tuesday, the 30-year-old also taking 15 wickets from those games.
Kent batsman Tawanda Muyeye has also signed for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash as he replaces one-time Minster CC player Laurie Evans.
