The recent comments made by Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone about the England setup are rather worrying if you ask me.
First, they both make comments that “if you’re in, you’re in” which is concerning because it shows that they are not currently looking outside of the current system. If this is the case then they could be potentially overlooking talented players, and any methods of improving..
Once you leave the system, it does seem that the management don’t look back at you.
Bairstow for example was at the forefront of the “Bazball” era when it began, with swashbuckling hundreds and exciting play. Everything that drew in the crowds and flayed bowling attacked to all parts of the ground.
The mismanagement of Mark Wood was also a very good point made by Bairstow. Wood had barely played any cricket due to an injury the previous summer; he was then expected to bowl high pace in a test match environment without any proper game time under his belt. Wood did what every fan knew he would, he broke down and missed the rest of the tour.
Liam Livingstones quote saying “there wasn’t any part of me” that wanted to be involved with the England team that played in the T20 world cup was very telling.
Livingstone is a high quality white ball player who is a dangerous striker of the ball, and when he was made captain for the West Indies series in 2024, his performances certainly took and upward trajectory.
The way Livingstone appears to have been treated both in and out of the squad does not look good. He said that that in the nets “you’d hit a couple out of the middle of the bat and they’d say ‘Great you found it. Lets go back to the hotel’”. This shows that England were not committed to putting effort in to helping a player that was clearly struggling. Then when trying to speak to Key and McCullum the phone calls don’t even last two minutes, again, this is so neglectful it is almost comical in some ways. Things like this should not be happening.
At just 32 years old we should be seeing Livingstone playing for England again in my opinion, he is now off to the IPL to hook up with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Although he has lost his place to players such as Will Jacks, who is an immensely talented player – as four Player of the Match awards clearly show – there still should be room for a player like Livingstone; a versatile bowler and power hitter in the last overs of an innings.
