'I don't miss it' - Livingstone criticises England

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Liam Livingstone has won exactly 100 caps for England across all formats

Cricket CorrespondentPublished7 hours ago490 CommentsLiam Livingstone has criticised the England set-up, saying there "wasn't any part of me" that wanted to be involved with the team that reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.

Livingstone has not played for England since last year's Champions Trophy and lost his central contract in September.

The 32-year-old said he has subsequently had two phone calls, one each with England coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Livingstone said neither call lasted longer than one minute.

The all-rounder struggled at the Champions Trophy as England lost all three of their matches. He had a highest score of 14 with the bat and took three wickets with his spin bowling.

He said the tournament in Pakistan was the "worst experience I've had playing cricket" and the advice he got from the England hierarchy was that he "cares too much".

"I was just trying to ask for help to get better: what do they see that isn't going right?" said Livingstone. "You'd hit a couple out of the middle of the bat and they'd go 'Great, you found it. Let's go back to the hotel.''"

Livingstone's comments come at the end of a difficult winter for England. Although they reached the last four of the T20 World Cup, a 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia was blighted by poor performances on the pitch and accusations of a loose attitude off it.

On the tour of New Zealand that preceded the Ashes, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer while out drinking on the eve of the final one-day international in Wellington.

At the end of the World Cup, McCullum said he made "no apologies" for his style, saying the England set-up is "informal" but not "casual".

The England and Wales Cricket Board have conducted a review into the Ashes, with Key and McCullum expected to remain in their posts.

Describing how he was left out by England last summer, Livingstone said: "I don't think [the call] would have reached a minute. I asked why, they said they wanted to try someone else. That was off Baz [McCullum].

"Keysy said nothing - he said 'I'll speak to you in the summer'. I actually rang him one day, and he said he was busy at a Test camp at Loughborough. And then I didn't hear off him until the end of September.

"That was a bit of an eye-opening experience about the group and the regime: if you're in, you're in, and if you're not in, no-one cares about you. That put my mind at ease that my cricket was going to be more enjoyable going forward."

After Livingstone publicly raised a lack of contact from Key, the former England batter told Sky Sports: "I don't know if he's got a phone, if he's allowed to ring, he's 32 years of age - it's not hard. If you want to find out where you are, you've got my number, mate."

Livingstone said he eventually spoke to Key in September, when the lack of communication was discussed.

Livingstone said Key told him he had "100 more important things to do than speak to you".

Though Livingstone believes he will not play for England again under the current management, England have insisted the door remains open for his selection. England also dispute the nature of the conversation between Key and Livingstone.

Livingstone's place in the England team went to fellow all-rounder Will Jacks, who won four player-of-the-match awards at the T20 World Cup and was named in the team of the tournament.

Livingstone, who has played exactly 100 matches for England across formats, won his only Test cap in Pakistan in 2022 and stood in as white-ball captain at the end of 2024, said: "I didn't miss it one bit."

Referring to the T20 World Cup, he said: "There wasn't any part of me that was wishing I was playing in that team, to be honest."

Livingstone will now link up with Sunrisers Hyderabad for the Indian Premier League, then return to England to play for Lancashire in the Blast and London Spirit in The Hundred.

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