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Hard-hitting batter Liam Livingstone has slammed England team management for not having a single word with him since dropping him from white-ball squads earlier this year. Livingstone was informed about him getting dropped midway through the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The 32-year-old is frustrated as he is uncertain about his future in England side. He believes that his prime years have been wasted as he is not getting to bat up the order and just considered a batter who can come down the order and slog.
Livingstone was dropped after an underwhelming T20I and ODI series against India and England’s group stage exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The 32-year-old says that he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t perform during the specified period.
"Obviously I didn't have a great series in India and Pakistan and I hold my hands up: I wasn't good enough out there. But I probably wasn't the only one," Livingstone said. "I don't know where I stand with England, to be honest. The frustrating part for me is I feel like I've got my best cricket ahead of me."
Livingstone wants to play T20 World Cup 2026
Livingstone has the fire in him to perform for England. He compared himself to the likes of Jos Buttler who have been performing for England in 30s. He is unsure whether he will get a chance in the next year's T20 World Cup in the subcontinent.
"I absolutely love playing for England… Nothing makes me prouder than being able to represent my country. At my age now, I feel like this is where people start to really come into their prime as a batter. You look at Jos [Buttler] over the last few years and I feel like, coming into a [T20] World Cup year, I could really help an England team go a long way to winning a World Cup,” he said.
"That's probably the frustrating thing for me: I would love to help. I would love to play for England. I feel like I'm still good enough to play for England. But I haven't had a single word since halfway through the IPL, so I don't really know where I stand, to be honest… I probably feel like right now, I'm playing as well as I ever have done in my whole career."
Livingstone wants a promotion up the order
Livingstone believes that he can do better if he gets to bat higher up the order. He is not wrong either. At no.5, he has 398 runs from 19 innings at an average of 24.87, including a century. His strike rate at this position is 153.66. He is even better at no.4, scoring 310 runs from 10 innings at an average of 38.75, including two fifties. His strike rate of 157.36 is at best at no.4 position in T20Is.
"That's probably been one of my biggest frustrations," he said. "Whenever I've gone up the order, I've actually done really well for England. Maybe my versatility has probably been against me a little bit: being able to come in further down the order and hit sixes from ball one is obviously not something that a lot of people can do.
"I feel like I'm a batter that can go on and win games for whoever I'm playing for, not necessarily a slogger down the order that can come in and come off every now and then. I feel like I've got more game than that, to be honest. The more responsibility I've had in my career, the better I've done… Certainly, I feel like I'm thriving on it at the moment with the Phoenix."
Livingstone’s current form
The Birmingham Phoenix captain is current the leading run-scorer in The Hundred, just ahead of Manchester Originals' Buttler. The all-rounder has 211 runs from five innings at an average of 70.33, including one fifty. His strike rate in the ongoing season is 166.14.
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