New Delhi: Liam Livingstone has strongly criticized the England team management, saying he felt a lack of respect and communication after being dropped from the national team in 2025. The England all-rounder revealed that he has not been with the team since March last year and now doubts whether he will return to the team under the current leadership.
Disappointment with England management
Livingstone said he only received a brief call from the manager Brendan McCallum He was informed that he had been left out of the squad for the West Indies series. According to him, the conversation lasted only one minute.“I asked why [I was dropped]. They said they wanted to try others. That’s Buzz’s thing. Wrighty [outgoing selector Luke Wright] without reaching out, and brooke [captain Harry Brook] Sent me a text,” Livingstone told ESPNCricinfo.He also expressed disappointment that England general manager Rob Key did not communicate with him following the decision.“That probably sums up this group as a collective. Keysy [Rob Key] Nothing was said. [He] Said I would talk to you in the summer. In fact, I called him one day and he said he was busy at a Test camp in Loughborough. Then I didn’t hear from him until the end of September,” he added.“It was an eye-opening experience for the group and the regime: if you join, you join, if you don’t, no one cares about you. It reassures me that my cricket will be much more enjoyable in the future.”
Having trouble playing a role in a team
Livingstone also recalled seeking help from McCullum when he was struggling with form during the 2025 tour of India. However, he felt the advice he received was unhelpful.“I was asking for help and pretty much all I got was I’m taking it too seriously and I need to calm down and everything will fall into place,” Livingstone said.“Of course you care when things don’t go your way; if I didn’t care, then I probably wouldn’t want to play the sport.”Another problem he faces is the ever-changing batting order.“One of the frustrations of playing for England is that whenever I’ve gone up in the rankings, I’ve done well. Then the big boys would come back and I would always come back to seventh,” he added.“At the end of the day, I don’t want to be the sixth bowler and seventh batsman. I feel like it’s a waste of my talent, but that’s just my opinion.”
Looking ahead to IPL
Livingstone, who will represent Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2026 Indian Premier League, was not selected for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. However, he said he was not disappointed about missing the game.“I didn’t miss it at all,” he said. “Honestly, there’s no part of me that wishes I could play on that team.”The all-rounder now hopes that a strong IPL season will help revive his career and possibly earn him another chance with England.“Hopefully I can have a season like I had in my first year at Punjab [Kings, in 2022] I feel like I’m playing really well and winning a lot of games starting in fourth,” he said.[IPL] It’s a very different experience than anything else throughout the year; it’s a long time away from home, but if you give it everything you have, it rewards you well. “
