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.”

Watch England vs Australia live on Sky Sports Cricket this September as the sides meet in three T20 internationals and five one-day internationals.

The second T20I is at Sophia Gardens on Friday September 13 with coverage from 6pm ahead of the first ball at 6.30pm. Also stream with NOW.

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