by Liam Livingstone is hoping to regain his place in England’s 50-over set-up after seizing a much-desired opportunity: promotion up the order in the ongoing T20 series against Australia.
Promoted to fourth on Wednesday in a revamped XI that included three debutants, Livingstone made 37 from 27 balls in the series opener, England’s best performance on a chilly September night in Southampton. Three wickets earlier in the game made it a fine all-round performance.
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“I’ve probably spent two years playing a little bit lower, you don’t always get the opportunity,” said Livingstone, who bowled at number six and number seven in the T20 World Cup in June. “Usually you either don’t bat, you come in for two or three balls, or you need 14 balls and 10 balls at the end.
“I don’t think you’ll see anyone who wants to play lower down the order. I want that responsibility, I want to try and win cricket for England and I think the higher up the order you go the more likely you are to do that. So series like this, where you get the opportunity to go higher up the order, are a chance for me to make my case. I guess winning T20 cricket for England can increase my chances of getting back into the one-day team.”
Given greater responsibility in one format, Livingstone has been left out of the squad for next week’s one-day games against Australia. Like most of his team-mates, he didn’t find much joy in last year’s World Cup, racking up 60 runs and three wickets in six matches. But Livingstone is relishing being “pain-free” on the field after a few years in which his body has suffered. An ankle injury suffered before playing in the 2022 T20 World Cup was followed by a knee injury on his Test debut against Pakistan in December.
“Unfortunately I won’t be playing in the ODIs but I’m not giving up. I feel like I’ve had a tough few years. My body has probably let me down a little bit and maybe I haven’t been up to par physically with a few little niggles.
“I injured my ankle just before the World Cup, rushed back for the World Cup, which then led to me injuring my knee in the Tests. It was a bit of a cat and mouse game between them for a long time. I was always rushing to play whatever the next tournament was because I wanted to play cricket – I didn’t want to be away from cricket for too long. I probably rushed back a bit quickly, but I don’t really have any regrets because I won a World Cup.
“I’m 31, I’m not going to sit here and cry because I didn’t get selected. There’s a lot of cricket to be played in the world and if I’m not involved in ODIs there’s a lot more opportunity. I think the key for me is to get the enjoyment of cricket back. I feel like I can run around the field without pain, I can bowl and I feel like I’m fit with the bat again.”
