Livingstone criticism shows contrast between Bazball and Proteas’ Conrad

Liam Livingstone is clearly angry with the England cricket team.

The 32-year-old all-rounder, one of the most explosive limited overs players of recent times and who was on a central contract with the England Cricket Board a year ago, in an interview with espncricinfo.com, painted a picture of an environment he was delighted not to be a part of.

“There wasn’t any part of me that was wishing I was playing in that team, to be honest,” he said of England at the recent T20 World Cup.

The trouble stemmed from Livingstone seeking clarity about his role in the England team last year. Between them, according to Livingstone, England coach Brendon McCullum, the outgoing selector Luke Wright, managing director Rob Key, and even the new limited overs captain Harry Brook, provided terse, limited or delayed replies to Livingstone’s requests.

It hardly seems like the “free” and open environment McCullum has sought to foster — with Key’s support — since taking over in 2022.

On the one hand, Livingstone’s form didn’t warrant selection for the World Cup, and coupled with the good displays from Will Jacks — who shifted down the order and provided a threat with the ball — Livingstone’s axing can be justified.

But it’s the means of communicating with Livingstone that appears so poor. He described his call with McCullum as lasting less than a minute, only receiving a text from Brooks, while Key said he was busy and then only months later had a brief telephone call with Livingstone.

Players’ anger about being dropped is nothing new. It’s happened with the Proteas too in the Shukri Conrad era, the two prime examples being Ryan Rickelton and Lungi Ngidi.

Rickelton told the Sunday Times that there “was turmoil”, between him and Conrad in 2024, after the left-hand opener was dropped from the Test team. “I didn’t want to engage with him, in all honesty.”

The year before, Ngidi had expressed similar sentiments. He was omitted from the Test squad for the 2023 home series with West Indies. “At the time, I didn’t feel it made sense, you get angry, but that is part of life,” Ngidi told TimesLIVE later that year.

At the time I didn’t want to hear anything, but you’ve got to hear it for you to fight your way back into the team. Whether you like it or not, that’s the information you’ve been given and you run with that.

—  Lungi Ngidi

The difference between England’s handling of Livingstone, and Conrad’s of Rickelton and Ngidi, is communication — supported by Conrad’s dry wit.

“I’ve got this habit of making people angry. It’s something I’ve got to work on,” Conrad quipped during the T20 World Cup.

Jokes aside, it boils down to being straightforward and comfortable confronting players’ understandable emotions. “I can appreciate that he is really honest. I have a sense that he does back me and my ability. I guess it’s been niggly about what role I play in the side,” said Rickelton.

“At least I now know, we are grown men, we can have that discussion. It might not always be favourable, but to be honest about what the picture is, where you sit as a player and what your role is — at least you can then be judged accordingly.”

Ngidi, though he found being dropped difficult, at least was informed why.

“At the time I didn’t want to hear anything, but you’ve got to hear it for you to fight your way back into the team. Whether you like it or not, that’s the information you’ve been given and you run with that,” Ngidi said.

The South African players were given an outline for their path back into the team, something it appears Livingstone wasn’t. It would appear that the ‘boys club’ set-up some have accused especially McCullum of creating holds merit.

As has been pointed out repeatedly, Zak Crawley can average 31 in 64 Tests, but there was never a sensehe’d be dropped. The lines of communication with him were clear, as they appear to have been for Brook after his reckless behaviour in New Zealand and Australia.

But Livingstone is outside that clique. England have an interesting year ahead that culminates in a Test series in South Africa.

With McCullum — despite continued support from Key and Brook — under greater scrutiny after a horrendous Australian tour and an average campaign at the T20 World Cup, it will be interesting if any changes to the way he manages players occur.

Livingstone has further drawn away the curtain on a lax team environment, but worse, this is one that doesn’t seem to care about certain players, and that is bad.