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"I would jump at the opportunity to get out to Pakistan in the PSL" : Liam Livingstone

Liam Livingstone - 66 *(22) vs Netherlands - what a day for England!
 
Has to be one the best T20 players in the world at the moment.

Pound for pound great value for any T20 franchise - 3 in 1 cricketer.
 
Liam Livingstone smashed a 17-ball half-century - the fastest-ever by an Englishman in One-Day International cricket- against Netherlands in Amstelveen on Friday as England amassed a record 498 for four.

This was also the second-fastest fifty in ODIs, with Livingstone just missing AB de Villiers' 16-ball half-century against West Indies in 2015. Sanath Jayasuriya (vs Pakistan), Kusal Perera (vs Pakistan), and Martin Guptill (vs Sri Lanka) are the others to have struck a fifty off 17 balls in the format.

Livingstone remained unbeaten on 66 off 22 balls as England set the highest-ever ODI innings total - going past its own record of 481 for six against Australia.

The 28-year-old went past his skipper Eoin Morgan, whose 21-ball 50 against Australia in 2018 was the fastest by an English batter in ODIs before Friday.

England rode on three centuries centurions to get to the record mark. Phil Salt (122 off 93) and Dawid Malan (125 off 109) struck their maiden ODI hundreds before Jos Buttler's astounding 70-ball unbeaten 162 flattened Netherlands.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...netherlands-buttler-malan/article38503639.ece
 
Great cameo innings.

Although he seemed to get injured later.
 
What sort of a shot was this?

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England's Livingstone eager to shed 'cameo' tag

London (AFP) – Liam Livingstone is desperate to be known for more than "cameo" innings as England head into their final white-ball match of the 2022 home season.

The 28-year-old Lancashire batsman has a well-deserved reputation as a brilliant ball-striker capable of hitting huge sixes.

But his 34 international appearances in both limited-overs formats have yielded just one hundred and one fifty.

It is a record Livingstone is keen to improve heading into Sunday's third Twenty20 international against South Africa in Southampton, which will decide the outcome of a three-match series currently level at 1-1.

During the past month, Livingstone's top-score in 10 white-ball games for England has been 42 not out, although his quickfire 38 off 26 balls at Old Trafford helped England defeat the Proteas in a one-day international.

Nevertheless, the spin-bowling all-rounder has had enough of producing "cameo" innings.

"I think that has been the word I have seen everywhere, to be honest," Livingstone told reporters at Southampton on Saturday.

"I feel like I have been able to affect certain games but I just haven't got that big score to go on and win a game for the team.

"Hopefully that is tomorrow (Sunday). If not, it is not as though I feel out of nick. I feel like I am playing really well but I just need a couple of things to go my way and hopefully I can get a big score in to help the team towards winning."

From next week, Livingstone will be involved in the second season of English domestic cricket's Hundred competition, with two new franchise leagues, in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, set to be added to the calendar in January.

With England scheduled to be away to the Proteas in white-ball cricket early in 2023, Livingstone has been tipped to feature in the new six-team tournament in South Africa.

"I will be playing in one of them," said Livingstone with a smile.

"We will have to play international cricket in South Africa in January and some of the lads will get experience of playing in South Africa for a few (franchise) games before that, which I think is perfect for us as a team.

"We are getting to travel around the world and compete in different franchise leagues and in conditions where we are going to places where we have to go to and win games for England."

Livingstone, though, remains determined to play Test cricket and any all-format England international could find it hard to feature in South Africa's new T20 competition.

It will take place immediately after England's Test series in Pakistan, which will occur following the T20 World Cup in Australia.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220730-england-s-livingstone-eager-to-shed-cameo-tag
 
Liam Livingstone has revealed he was not fully fit during England's T20 World Cup winning campaign and is "still not 100%" ahead of a potential Test debut against Pakistan.

Livingstone suffered an ankle injury in August, having tripped on a kerb while "trying to dodge a puddle". The injury ruled him out of the remainder of The Hundred and left him facing a race against time for the World Cup.

He returned to action in the final warm-up game and ultimately featured in every World Cup match, with England deciding it was worth the risk to play him. Livingstone was at the other end as Ben Stokes hit the winning runs in the final and says his World Cup medal "made all the struggles worth it".

"I fell down a kerb trying to dodge a puddle, one morning when we were going out for breakfast in London," Livingstone told the Daily Mail. "The whole winter flashed in front of my eyes.

England's Jofra Archer cracks Zak Crawley on helmet as bowler closes in on injury return

"It was a 12 week injury, with seven weeks and four days till the first World Cup game. It's still not 100% and it wasn't through the World Cup.

"I didn't actually start sprinting till a week before the first World Cup game but letting my mum and dad fly home with a World Cup medal made all the struggles worth it." Livingstone is now in Abu Dhabi with England's Test team preparing for a historic tour of Pakistan.

The 29-year-old is competing with Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed for the second spinner role behind Jack Leach and he is expected to be 100% in time for the first Test in Rawalpindi, which begins on December 1.

And the opportunity to play Test cricket is one Livingstone thought had passed him by, having made a conscious decision to focus on white-ball that means he has not played a first-class match in more than a year.

"I kind of accepted the fact that it was never gonna happen actually," he admitted. "I'm not exactly young and I had plenty of opportunities to live my career elsewhere.

"I accepted it and was pretty content. So, honestly, it did [come as a shock]. Obviously, the coach and the captain has changed and it's obvious that suits me and my style."

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/england-livingstone-pakistan-world-cup-28570141
 
Livingstone to debut as England take 'Bazball' to Pakistan
White-ball slogger Liam Livingstone to bat at No.8 in England's for Test in Pakistan for 17 years with Ben Duckett recalled as opener after seven-year absence

England will not temper their attacking ethos dubbed 'Bazball' with their first away Test series under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, with Liam Livingstone handed a Test debut and Ben Duckett a long-awaited recall against Pakistan.

Livingstone has not played a red-ball match in 2022 but was part of England's successful T20 World Cup campaign in Australia earlier this month, while Duckett has not played Test cricket for England for seven years.

Despite not representing Lancashire in the County Championship since September 2021 as he has been focusing on shorter-format cricket, Livingstone caught the attention of Stokes and head coach McCullum for his eye-catching shots in white-ball cricket.

"It was a pretty simple conversation I had with him (Livingstone), actually before we went out to Australia for the World Cup," the England captain said.

"Obviously, I told him where we stood in terms of him playing some red-ball cricket out in the subcontinent.

"With the skill he has with the ball and the way he plays with the bat is very aligned with how me and Baz want to see the team play. He jumped at the opportunity.

"I don't necessarily think that not playing a red-ball game is going to be too much of a thing for him.

"He's a very natural cricketer, he's going to go out there and really express himself. So, yeah, looking forward to seeing him in the whites."

Duckett has not played a Test since 2016 when he was handed a brutal baptism of fire at the hands of Indian spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.

Then aged 22, Duckett played in the series against both Bangladesh and India that winter, averaging just 15.71, and has not played Test cricket for England since.

However, Duckett amassed more than 1,000 runs in last season's County Championship Division Two at an average of 72.28.

When England toured Pakistan for seven T20 internationals in September and October – with the visitors winning 4-3 – Duckett finished as the second-highest run-scorer during the series, and Stokes backed him to succeed at the top of the order.

"Ducky (Duckett) showed out here in the T20s just how good he is against spin bowling," he said.

"To have someone at the top like him who can mess around with the fields and make it a captain's nightmare because he sweeps both ways, and we know how much of a part spin plays out in this area.

"(We are) excited to have him at the top."

Stokes announced on Monday he would be donating his match fees from the series to the Pakistan flood appeal, after at least 1,600 people were killed and millions left in need of aid following the natural disaster earlier this year.

"Coming here is a monumental time for English cricket and for Pakistan as a nation," he said when asked about the decision.

"There are bigger things to life than cricket. The floods were devastating to the country, and me coming out here and representing my country, bringing the sport back to the nation.

"There are things that go on in life that are bigger than sport and I felt compelled just to give something back that is bigger than cricket."

cricket.com.au
 
Liam Livingstone is heading home from Pakistan after scans revealed cartilage damage to his right knee. Jarred it in the field on day two of his Test debut. No plans to call-up a replacement at this stage
 
England's Liam Livingstone has been ruled out of the remainder of their Pakistan tour after the all-rounder suffered a knee injury in his debut test in Rawalpindi, the team said on Monday.

The 29-year-old, who made nine in the first innings and was on seven in the second when England declared, jarred his right knee while fielding on Friday.

"He will return to the UK on Tuesday and commence rehab with the ECB and Lancashire medical teams respectively," the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.

The visitors have yet to make a decision to call up a replacement.

England, on their first test tour of Pakistan since 2005, are also scheduled to play in Multan and Karachi.
 
A shame for him, but hopefully he enjoyed the experience of his Test debut where he could. There will be further opportunities for him.
 
Liiam Livingstone put on a brilliant show with the bat, scoring a valiant 94 (48) for Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals
 
His timing is majestic. Watching him hit sixes is a sight. Has a bit of Rohit Sharma about him. Punjab should have used him from the start.
 
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When The Hundred was launched in 2021, it was viewed from some quarters with suspicion and as a competition that would not be around for too long. But now in its third season and firmly established in the English cricketing calendar, The Hundred continues to go from strength to strength. For Liam Livingstone the tournament is undoubtedly serving one of its main purposes which is to inspire the future generation of cricketers.

“I love it. Obviously, I had a really good first year so it means a little bit more to me than it could have. It’s something different; it’s a franchise tournament in England and it’s a fresh change for me playing for Birmingham Phoenix where I get to experience different things. I think it’s really good for cricket. I know it’s not for everyone and a lot of people are against it, but as players we love playing in it because you get a kind of football feel about it with kids wearing your team shirt. The Hundred was brought in to inspire the next generation and our job is to make kids want to play cricket and through The Hundred we get that opportunity. It’s so good to see so many kids come and watch the games and The Hundred is a massive part of kids wanting to get into cricket.”

For 30-year-old Livingstone playing under the leadership of Moeen Ali at Phoenix is right up his street and he’s a huge admirer of Ali’s style of leadership.

“What you see with Moeen is what you get. I’ve played a lot of cricket now with Mo for England and played with him at The Phoenix. He’s my type of cricketer, he’s very chilled out and he enjoys himself. He knows there’s more to life than cricket and he brings that around pretty well. I love playing with him and under him and he is great fun to be around. I feel that we are very lucky to have him as captain at The Phoenix.”

The modern-day cricket calendar proves that the sport can be an all year-around profession. But for Livingstone, whilst the temptation of franchise leagues can be very appealing, having time away from cricket is imperative in order to escape the mental and physical demands that cricketers face.
“It’s difficult especially when there’s so much cricket to be played if you want to play it, but it’s not just physically challenging, but mentally too. You just cannot play cricket 12 months a year, it just doesn’t work, you have to factor in breaks, get away from cricket whilst playing in these various tournaments and do different things. I enjoy playing golf so any days off that I get, I try and play golf with a few people and get my mind away from cricket. If you are playing cricket 12 months a year and thinking about cricket every day then it becomes a little draining. It’s a pretty cool world that we live in at the moment, being able to travel the world to play cricket, but you have got to also factor in breaks and make sure you get the time off that you need.”

Livingstone suffered an ankle injury during The Hundred last year but recovered in time to feature for England during the T20 World Cup in Australia. He was included in England's Test squad for the tour of Pakistan but suffered a knee injury in the first Test that meant he would play no further part in the series. Whilst still not fully fit, he feels that he’s made progress with his injury problems and is now in a position where he can look forward to being pain-free from injury.

“I’ve struggled over the last year with injuries and I wouldn’t say I’m 100% fit yet. I had a bit of a problem with my ankle that seems to have settled down now. It was my first game back properly recently at Old Trafford and it felt better and I didn’t have the problem that I’ve had for the last 4 or 5 months. I’ve had lots of injections so fingers crossed hopefully they’ve worked and I can get back to full fitness now which is obviously ideal given all the cricket that is coming up. It’s been a long 5 or 6 months, tricky mentally and not being able to play at full fitness which was hard work. Hopefully all that is in the past now and I can look forward.”

England batter Alex Hales recently announced his retirement from international cricket. The 34-year-old played 156 times for his country across the three formats of the game in an 11-year spell, with his last appearance coming in England’s T20 World Cup win against Pakistan. For Livingstone, such decisions must be taken with your own interests in mind.

“It's very individualised. Ultimately, it’s your life and it’s what you want to do in life and in your career and nobody should tell you what to do. You cannot begrudge anyone from doing what they deem is best for themselves. If someone doesn’t want to play Test cricket then they don’t have to play Test cricket in this day and age. You can make your own career decisions as these days there is so much cricket available. Halesy’s had a great international career and he feels like he’s done and I guess nobody begrudges him that. He’s had a terrific career and he’s obviously got a few years left in him and he wants to enjoy himself so he knows what he wants to do and he’s going down that route.”

England’s brand of Test cricket under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum has won many admirers around the globe. Whilst Livingstone’s flamboyant approach could fit perfectly into BazBall, and whilst he still has Test ambitions, his focus currently is on his fitness and enjoying cricket once again.

“I got injured in the very first Test match that I played in. It was a shame that I got injured and it was a bad time to get injured. As a kid I wanted to play Test cricket and still do. Whether that happens or not is not the be-all and end-all any more as there is a career to be had away from Test cricket which is nice for us these days. As the little kid growing up wanting to play Test cricket, I probably still want to do that, whether the opportunity arises or not over the next couple of years we will have to see. Life is what it’s meant to be. I have had a tough couple of months but to be perfectly honest it’s just nice to be playing cricket and hopefully I can get back to playing pain-free and hopefully that can continue.”

The World Cup which commences in October in India, may present Livingstone with the opportunity to add to his T20 World Cup winners medal. But given that his injury woes were so severe that he had doubts about whether he would even play cricket again, he’s keeping his ambitions in check and not looking too far ahead.

“Everyone wants to play in a World Cup and the T20 World Cup in Australia last year was the best time of my career and I absolutely loved it. Being able to win a World Cup is something that not many people get to do. The World Cup this year is a target but to be perfectly honest I’m just taking it day by day at the moment and enjoying being back playing and enjoying the training side of things like I did as a kid. I’m just happy to be back playing, it’s been a long 4 or 5 months mentally and there were times when my ankle was so bad that I thought maybe I wouldn’t get the opportunity to play cricket ever again. It’s just nice to now have that freedom of being pain-free, being healthy, enjoying myself and doing what I love. So, I’m not looking too far ahead, I’m just happy that I’m back playing at the moment.”

England’s recent dominance in ICC white ball tournaments is well documented and for Livingstone there is no reason why they cannot continue their great run. However, with home advantage, he sees India as the main rivals to England.

“India in their home conditions are going to be pretty strong and I don’t think you can look too far past them. But certainly, with the talent we’ve got in our dressing room we won’t be fearing anyone. Whatever squad is picked, if I’m there or not, England’s white-ball cricket is in a great place at the moment and if you speak to people around the world you realise that there are a lot of teams that would love to be in our dressing room. We’ve got an incredible group and are led very well by Jos (Buttler) and we won’t be fearing anyone in India at the World Cup.”
 
What a carnage by Livingstone against the West Indies in the 4th T20I!

He scored a quickfire 54 off just 21 balls which included four massive sixes.

He is one of the best modern day hitter of this era.
 

Liam Livingstone: England all-rounder relishing added responsibility in youthful T20 team against Australia​


Big-hitting all-rounder Liam Livingstone says he's relishing the added responsibility as he hopes to cement a top order spot with the bat in England's T20 team.

Livingstone was the main bright spark in an otherwise disappointing England display as they suffered a 28-run defeat to Australia in their T20 series opener in Southampton on Wednesday.

Livingstone took 3-22 in his three overs of spin before top-scoring for the hosts with 37 off 27 balls when batting higher up the order at No 4 in a youthful side that featured three debutants.

"I want to try and win games of cricket for England. And I think the higher up the order, the more chance you have of doing that," Livingstone said after the series-opening defeat.

"I guess that's why a series like this, where you get an opportunity further up the order, it's a chance for me to state my case.

"It's up to me to make sure I try and do as well as I can and give them a bit of a headache for the next series coming up. That's my job the next two games."

At 31 years old and with 75 combined caps across all three formats for England, Livingstone is one of the more senior members of England's squad named for this T20 series.

If selected on Friday for the second T20 international in Cardiff, it will be his 50th T20I cap.

"I guess I've got a role in this team that feels weird... I feel really old, so I've got to give the younger boys a bit more of a steer, take a bit of pressure off them. And I enjoy the responsibility," Livingstone said.

"There's a bit of a fresh look, a fresh environment. Things have felt different, like a new beginning.

"And I guess the challenge for us now as a group is to try and get up to speed as quickly as we can, and kind of not use that changing of the guard as an excuse.

"We've got to get up to speed and take the Aussies on. There's a lot to play for in this series, and we've got every faith that we can turn it around."

Livingstone: I'm back playing with smile on my face​


Livingstone has not been selected for the five-match ODI series which follows the T20 leg of Australia's tour.

While disappointed to miss out, the 2022 T20 World Cup winner with England said he is just happy to be fit and enjoying his cricket again after persistent injury trouble off the back of that tournament.

"Unfortunately, I won't be playing in the ODIs, but it's still not something I'm giving up on," he said.

"Body-wise has probably let me down a little bit, and maybe I haven't been up to scratch physically with a couple of niggles here and there.

"I did my ankle just before the [2022] World Cup, rushed back to get fit for it, which then led to me injuring my knee in the Test stuff [his debut versus Pakistan that winter].

"I guess when I look back, I don't really have any regrets... if I didn't rush my ankle back as quickly as I did, I wouldn't be sat here as a World Cup winner.

"I reckon it has matured me a lot over the last two years, and it makes you appreciate when things start to get a little bit better and are a little more enjoyable."

He added: "From the start of The Hundred, I reckon it's as good as I've been for a long while.

"I can run around 100 per cent in the field, and I can bowl and bat to the best of my ability, which is something I probably haven't been able to do for two and a half years.

"I'm back playing cricket with a smile on my face. That's when I play at my best. And fingers crossed, it stays that way for a while."

www.skysports.com

Liam Livingstone: England all-rounder relishing added responsibility in youthful T20 team against Australia

Liam Livingstone took 3-22 and top-scored for hosts with 37 off 27 balls when batting at No 4 in Englands series-opening defeat to Australia; watch second T20I in Cardiff, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 6pm, Friday (first ball, 6.30pm) and stream with NOW
www.skysports.com www.skysports.com
 
Livingstone rises to the occasion again for making a successful comeback for England in the T20 series against Australia. He made spectacular 87(47) for his side in the 2nd T20I today.
 
FearlessRoar said:
Liam Livingstone played a breathtaking innings, clobbering Mitchell Starc for 28 runs in the final over to finish unbeaten on 62* (27 balls) in the 4th ODI against Australia.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1839714316959797688
Click to expand...

While speaking on a local channel, Former England pacer Stuart Broad said that Liam Livingstone's explosive knock:

"That's exactly what England want from Livingstone. We have to remember that Livingstone wasn't even in the original squad. He's shown the England selectors exactly why he should be in white-ball squads and hopefully winning games for England.”

“He has always had superb strength, plays some really eye-catching shots, and is such a powerful striker of the ball. Sometimes it can look like a hack or swipe, but today it just looked really calm and controlled, and he's hitting one of the best death bowlers in the world in Mitchell Starc. England want those players that can change their game, and Livingstone is one of those.”
 

West Indies vs England: Liam Livingstone embracing 'new career' after going from dropped to stand-in ODI captain​


This is quite some turnaround for Liam Livingstone.

After initially being dropped by England for September's one-day internationals against Australia, he now finds himself captaining his country against West Indies in the same format.

Jos Buttler's calf injury - an ongoing issue that means the regular white-ball skipper has not played an innings since June - has ruled him out of the three 50-over games in the Caribbean.

Therefore, Livingstone is at the wheel on a temporary basis. A Ruud van Nistelrooy figure, if you will, although as a Blackburn Rovers supporter he may prefer to be compared to Tony Parkes.

Harry Brook stood in for Buttler during the Australia ODIs but has just finished a Test series in Pakistan and is now preparing for one in New Zealand, so is not out in the Caribbean.

With England's ODI squad for this assignment so inexperienced - four players (Jafer Chohan, Michael Pepper, John Turner and Dan Mousley) have not played any international cricket, while some others (including Jacob Bethell and Jordan Cox) so little - Livingstone was one of the few captaincy candidates, probably alongside batter Phil Salt and fellow all-rounder Sam Curran.

"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, said after going from chopped to in charge 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 want the next few games to be a hell of a lot of fun, play some good cricket, win some games and then hand the reins back to Jos."

It was actually T20 international cricket - the format in which he thumped England's fastest hundred, off just 42 balls, against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2021 - that provided Livingstone's avenue back into the 50-over team.

Knocks of 37 from 27 balls and then 87 from 37 in T20s against Australia last month while batting at No 4, coupled with Buttler's continued injury absence, saw him added to the ODI group and he went on to play all five matches batting at No 6.

Around two ducks and a score of 13, he smoked an unbeaten 33 from 20 balls in Durham and then 67 from 27 at Lord's, with those innings helping England to victory on both occasions.

'I feel like the best of me is still 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'.

"In the series against Australia, I certainly felt I did that. I'm in a very different place to where I was six or 12 months ago, I feel like a kid, like I'm almost at the start of a new career.

"I feel like the best of me is still to come."

Livingstone has lived a bizarre England existence, often batting in a lower middle-order spot and charged with teeing off from ball one, while then serving as a part-time bowler around frontline spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, the latter of whom has now retired.

That has made it hard for him to impact games regularly but he wants a bigger role now and it will be interesting to see whether he moves even higher up the batting order than No 6 against West Indies, with no Buttler, Brook, Ben Duckett or Jamie Smith.

Only twice in his 30 ODIs has Livingstone batted above No 6. Only twice has he faced 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.

"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 feel I've worked a few things out with my batting and had a really good end to the summer.

"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."

www.skysports.com

West Indies vs England: Liam Livingstone embracing 'new career' after going from dropped to stand-in ODI captain

After being dropped from Englands ODI squad this summer Liam Livingstone will now captain it in the West Indies in dramatic turnaround: I feel like a kid, like Im almost at the start of a new career. I feel the best of me is still to come - first ODI in Antigua on Thursday
www.skysports.com www.skysports.com
 
Liam Livingstone currently at 73* (67) keeping England in the hunt against West Indies in the 2nd ODI as England look to chase 329
 
The Bald Eagle said:
Liam Livingstone currently at 73* (67) keeping England in the hunt against West Indies in the 2nd ODI as England look to chase 329
Click to expand...
What a magnificent match winning century by Livingstone.Liam Livingstone’s 124* trumps Shai Hope’s 117 as England level the ODI series
 

Liam Livingstone's century a coming-of-age knock, says Sir Alastair Cook​


Sir Alastair Cook has hailed Liam Livingstone's "coming-of-age" knock after England's stand-in captain hit his maiden ODI century against West Indies to level the series and set up a decider.

Livingstone, who was dropped for September's one-day internationals against Australia before starring in the T20 fixtures, has since been appointed stand-in skipper following Jos Buttler's calf injury - and led his team to victory on Saturday with an unbeaten 124 off 85 balls.

Having fallen to an eight-wicket defeat to the hosts in the opener at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Thursday - Livingstone top scoring with 48 - the tourists were criticised for not being able to convert their good starts.

"Fair play to him [Livingstone]. He was under a bit of scrutiny and pressure after Thursday's game," former England captain Cook told TNT Sports.

"It was a coming-of-age knock. It was absolutely brilliant; 46 off 57 balls - that's so unlike what we've usually seen of Livingstone.

"He went up and down the gears and to have the hunger to be there at the end was brilliant. The last 78 runs came off 28 balls. That is some freakish power.

"If you had guys who are not in this team, like [Harry] Brook, [Joe] Root, [Ben] Duckett, and have Livingstone as a finisher at No 5, then that's a dangerous 50-over top-order.

"He's had the opportunity to lead your country and that's a huge honour. He will go to bed satisfied. It's only after he got dropped that he started batting at No 5.

"There's not many places you can hide the ball to him. Not many players have the ability to hit three sixes [in a row]. He's not premediating, he's reacting with great skill and clarity to hit the ball so clearly."

Cook was also full of praise for the character shown by Livingstone's team-mates to bounce back from their heavy defeat to keep the series alive, with Jacob Bethell, Phil Salt and Sam Curran also scoring fifties.

He added: "They were poor on Thursday but today everyone had match-toughness. Salt played well and the pitch suited him with the ball coming on to him. He likes that.

"I was impressed by Bethell's maturity He got into the tempo really well. These guys have been built on T20 cricket and The Hundred. In 50-over cricket you have so much more time to soak up pressure."

After his knock, Livingstone said England wanted to take risks and reinforced his side's attacking mentality.

"There's certain things I've done in practice at the end of the summer in England where I felt like I was getting back to my best," Livingstone told TNT Sports.

"Just maturing a little bit and knowing my game pretty well and back enjoying cricket. Ultimately, that's the main thing, I play well when I'm enjoying it.

"We wanted to take risks early on. I tried to get myself going and then set it up for the end and target their death bowling. It worked perfectly in the end.

"Curran played beautifully. I've batted a lot with him so I knew I could trust him. We needed someone to get a big score and that's what we did today.

"I think we were great with the ball too. Overall, a pretty decent team performance and we're back in the series."

www.skysports.com

West Indies vs England: Liam Livingstone's century a coming-of-age knock, says Sir Alastair Cook

West Indies captain Shai Hope hit an incredible 117 as the hosts posted 328-6; England chased down the total with 15 balls to spare with stand-in captain Liam Livingstone hitting his maiden ODI ton; The three-match series is levelled 1-1 ahead of the decider on Wednesday, November 6
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Bengaluru will suit me better than Punjab in IPL, says Livingston​


England all-rounder Liam Livingstone expressed his excitement after he was bought by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, stating that his new team would be a better fit for his playing style next season.

Livingstone, who made his IPL debut in 2019 with Rajasthan Royals, spent the last three seasons with Punjab Kings where the middle-order batter scored 827 runs in the world's richest Twenty20 league.

But the 31-year-old was released ahead of the mega auction and Bengaluru, who were revamping their squad, bought him for 87.5 million Indian rupees ($1.04 million) after a bidding war with Chennai Super Kings.

Livingstone said he could not wait to play for RCB, especially in home games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium which has often produced high-scoring games due to shorter boundaries.

"The fan base is very passionate. It's probably one of the biggest franchises in IPL... It's a bit of a fresh start for me," Livingstone told Reuters.

"I think Bangalore is going to be very good for my game. It's a little bit smaller than some of the stadiums in India, certainly better than what Punjab was for me. Hopefully, my game should suit that place well."

Livingstone said he vividly remembers watching RCB's batting trio of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers on TV.

But he added that "there's a lot of work to be done" before he can recreate a similar impact with Kohli and English opener Phil Salt, who RCB bought for 115 million Indian rupees as they seek their first IPL trophy.

"I think we had a really good auction. We've got some good players, we picked up quite cleverly," he said.

"There's a few people in that team I know really well, so I'm pretty excited to get out there as a group. Playing with the likes of Virat is going to be really cool."

Livingstone is currently in swashbuckling form for Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10, where he smashed a 15-ball 50 earlier this week.

"I think T10 is great for me, for my role, because we come in with not many balls left to play. So that certainly sets me up for the rest of the year," he said.

 
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