West Indies vs England: Liam Livingstone embracing ‘new career’ after going from dropped to stand-in ODI captain | Cricket News
That is fairly some turnaround for Liam Livingstone.
After initially being dropped by England for September’s one-day internationals in opposition to Australia, he now finds himself captaining his nation in opposition to West Indies in the identical format.
Jos Buttler’s calf damage – an ongoing subject which means the common white-ball skipper has not performed an innings since June – has dominated him out of the three 50-over video games within the Caribbean, the primary of which takes place in Antigua on Thursday (6pm UK and Eire).
England squad for West Indies sequence
Jos Buttler (captain – T20 sequence solely), Liam Livingstone (captain for ODI sequence), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Jafer Chohan, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton, Michael Pepper (ODIs solely), Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, John Turner
Subsequently, Livingstone is on the wheel on a short lived foundation. A Ruud van Nistelrooy determine, if you’ll, though as a Blackburn Rovers supporter he might want to be in contrast to Tony Parkes.
Harry Brook stood in for Buttler through the Australia ODIs however has simply completed a Check sequence in Pakistan and is now getting ready for one in New Zealand, so isn’t out within the Caribbean.
With England’s ODI squad for this task so inexperienced – 4 gamers (Jafer Chohan, Michael Pepper, John Turner and Dan Mousley) haven’t performed any worldwide cricket, whereas some others (together with Jacob Bethell and Jordan Cox) so little – Livingstone was one of many few captaincy candidates, in all probability alongside batter Phil Salt and fellow all-rounder Sam Curran.
Livingstone: ‘I need the subsequent few video games to be a hell of quite a lot of enjoyable, play some good cricket, win some video games after which hand the reins again to Jos’
“It’s not every day someone tells you you’re going to be England captain. It’s an incredibly proud thing for me,” Livingstone, 31, mentioned after going from chopped to in cost in a matter of weeks.
“It’s my job as an experienced player to help these guys along and make them as comfortable as possible in this environment.
“I need the subsequent few video games to be a hell of quite a lot of enjoyable, play some good cricket, win some video games after which hand the reins again to Jos.”
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Watch Livingstone’s T20 half-century in opposition to Australia
It was truly T20 worldwide cricket – the format wherein he thumped England’s quickest hundred, off simply 42 balls, in opposition to Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2021 – that supplied Livingstone’s avenue again into the 50-over crew.
Knocks of 37 from 27 balls after which 87 from 37 in T20s in opposition to Australia final month whereas batting at No 4, coupled with Buttler’s continued damage absence, noticed him added to the ODI group and he went on to play all 5 matches batting at No 6.
Round two geese and a rating of 13, he smoked an unbeaten 33 from 20 balls in Durham after which 67 from 27 at Lord’s, with these innings serving to England to victory on each events.
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Livingstone hit the quickest ODI half-century at Lord’s, from 25 balls, in opposition to Australia in September
‘I really feel like one of the best of me continues to be to come’
“Being left out is all part of professional sport. I sat down with Rob Key [managing director of men’s cricket], had a really honest conversation with him and said, ‘all I want is another opportunity and hopefully I can prove you wrong’.
“Within the sequence in opposition to Australia, I definitely felt I did that. I am in a really completely different place to the place I used to be six or 12 months in the past, I really feel like a child, like I am virtually in the beginning of a brand new profession.
“I feel like the best of me is still to come.”
Livingstone has lived a weird England existence, usually batting in a decrease middle-order spot and charged with teeing off from ball one, whereas then serving as a part-time bowler round frontline spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, the latter of whom has now retired.
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Livingstone introduced out a football-inspired celebration after dismissing Australia’s Steve Smith this summer time
That has made it exhausting for him to impression video games repeatedly however he desires a much bigger position now and it is going to be attention-grabbing to see whether or not he strikes even greater up the batting order than No 6 in opposition to West Indies, with no Buttler, Brook, Ben Duckett or Jamie Smith.
Solely twice in his 30 ODIs has Livingstone batted above No 6. Solely twice has he confronted over 50 deliveries.
“I’ve always said I know I’m good enough to play for England but maybe I needed more responsibility than I was getting. I don’t think I got that for the last two years,” he added.
Livingstone is raring to take extra accountability within the England aspect
“If you’re batting seven and only bowling a couple of overs a game it becomes quite a difficult role for someone who wants to be involved.
“I really feel I’ve labored a couple of issues out with my batting and had a extremely good finish to the summer time.
“Now I’m excited to get a bat back in my hand and prove that I’m a better player than someone who bats at seven. I believe I can do more damage if I face 60 balls rather than 20.”
Livingstone backs ‘untapped expertise’ to shine in West Indies
Livingstone has challenged his inexperienced white-ball squad to make a reputation for themselves within the Caribbean, urging them to seize their second in what’s England’s penultimate ODI sequence earlier than subsequent yr’s Champions Trophy.
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“There’s a lot of untapped talent and we are going to see some of that,” Livingstone mentioned in his pre-match press convention. “Hopefully there will be someone within this group where people say: ‘remember that series we had in the West Indies when so-and-so made a name for themselves?’
“I’ve little doubt that somebody and even a few guys will put their hand ahead. The energy in depth we now have in English cricket, while you take a look at the boys we’re lacking to the squad we have nonetheless received right here is fairly thrilling.
“There’s going to be a lot of debuts over the next few weeks. It’s about time we threw them in at the deep end and see what they’re all about.”
West Indies vs England schedule (all instances UK and Eire)
- First ODI: Antigua – Thursday October 31 (6pm)
- Second ODI: Antigua – Saturday November 2 (1.30pm)
- Third ODI: Barbados – Wednesday November 6 (6pm)
- First T20: Barbados – Saturday November 9 (8pm)
- Second T20: Barbados – Sunday November 10 (8pm)
- Third T20: St Lucia – Thursday November 14 (8pm)
- Fourth T20: St Lucia – Saturday November 16 (8pm)
- Fifth T20: St Lucia – Sunday November 17 (8pm)
Comply with England’s white-ball tour of West Indies throughout Sky Sports activities‘ digital platforms with dwell blogs and reviews.