Liam Livingstone has spoken out harshly about his treatment by England’s current government, claiming that “nobody cares about you”.
Livingstone has exactly 100 international caps across all three formats, but has not featured for his country in over a year and appears resigned to the status quo.
In an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, the 32-year-old was highly critical of his interactions with director of cricket Rob Key, describing last year’s Champions Trophy as “the worst experience I’ve had playing cricket”.
Sky Sports News understands that the England and Wales Cricket Board does not believe Livingstone’s career in England is over and that he will remain under consideration if he performs well.
ECB’s Ashes review, which covers “tourism planning and preparation, individual performance and conduct” following the 4-1 winter defeat Down Under, is still ongoing.
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Rob Key has come under fire for England’s break against Noosa between the second and third Ashes Tests, claiming it was like a “stag do” and believes there is no drinking culture within the team.
Livingstone: ‘I don’t miss’ playing for England
“I don’t think it lasted more than a minute,” Livingston said of the lack of communication after a brief phone call from head coach Brendon McCollum last May.
“When I asked why, they said they wanted to try other players. That’s not Buzz. Brookie (captain Harry Brook) texted me.
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Brendon McCullum reflects on England’s winter performances in Tests and white-ball cricket and says he wants to stay on as head coach
“Kesey didn’t say anything and said we would talk in the summer.In fact, I called him one day and he said he was busy with a test camp in Loughborough, but then I didn’t hear from him until the end of September.
“That probably sums up the group as a collective. It was a bit of an eye-opening experience about the group and the regime.
“If you’re in it, you’re in it, and if you’re not in it, nobody cares about you. So that reassured me that my cricket was going to be a lot more fun going forward.”
“I asked for help, but all I got was that I cared too much and needed to relax a little.”
Sky Sports News understands that the ECB feels Mr Livingstone misinterpreted the conversation.
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Watch Liam Livingstone hit five sixes in an over for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.
The blockbuster all-rounder remains in high demand on the franchise circuit, including a £1 million IPL contract from Sunrisers Hyderabad and a £350,000 bid from London Spirit at last week’s Hundred auction.
“I still believe he is one of the best players in English white-ball cricket,” Livingstone said. “Just because I’m not playing for England because of some people’s opinions, that doesn’t mean I’m not good enough to play for England.”
Speaking about his absence from the recent T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India, where England reached the semi-finals and lost to India, Livingstone added:
“Honestly, there was no part of me that wished I could have played for that team.”
What did Livingston and Key say last summer?
In an interview with Sky Sports News last summer, Livingstone said: “Nobody called me to tell me what I had to do and why.”
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On the 2025 episode of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Rob Key spoke about Liam Livingstone’s absence from the England squad
Responding to the suggestion on an episode of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Rob Key jokingly said, “I saw him (Livingstone) saying the other day that he hadn’t heard anything since he was dropped. I don’t know if he has a phone, if he’s allowed to ring it, but he’s 32 years old – it’s not difficult.”
“If you want to know where I am, my number mate is here.
“He’s a great cricketer and you’d want someone like Liam Livingstone around. He just needs to find that consistency.”
