'No way player of his ability not up for selection': Key on Livingstone

England's Rob Key has responded to Liam Livingstone's claims of neglect from team management, stating a player of his ability is always up for selection and is being considered for a recall ahead of the T20 World Cup, challenging him to score runs.

England team's managing director Rob Key has responded to all-rounder Liam Livingstone's allegations of team management "not caring much" about the sidelined players, saying that there is "no way that a player of his ability is not up for selection for England".

Livingstone, who has not featured in any international cricket following last year's winless ICC Champions Trophy campaign under ex-skipper Jos Buttler, gave an explosive interview to ESPNCricinfo, criticising the management, including Key and head coach Brendon McCullum of "not caring much" about players once omitted from the side. He also targeted Key for lack of communication before his central contract expired, alleging the former England batter replied having "100 more important things to do" than speak to him.

Key Responds to Livingstone's Allegations

Following the interview, Key defended his communication with Livingstone, saying "you are always going to have people who are upset."

Speaking to Sky Sports after retaining his post following a review into the Three Lions' 1-4 Ashes series loss to Australia Down Under, Key said, "Look, I am not going to go into private conversations. Obviously, there is another side to that conversation as I saw it. What I did say to Liam at the end of what was a fairly tetchy phone call to say the least [was that] there is no way I see a player of Liam Livingstone's ability not being up for selection for England."

Path Open for England Recall

Key also said that the all-rounder was being considered for a recall for the limited-overs tour to Sri Lanka ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in January and added that he is in contention for a spot, challenging him to prove that he is "back to his best [and] scoring runs".

"We debated him for the Sri Lanka series. Liam Livingstone is very much a player that we would love to see back to his best, scoring runs, and then back in the England set-up," he said.

"We thought as much of him [as] to make him captain at one stage, when we didn't have all the senior players there," Key added, referring to an ODI series against West Indies in late 2024. "That is how highly we thought of him. I still have a huge amount of time for Liam Livingstone, and there is no reason that someone at 32 years of age, their England career should be over," he continued.

Denial of 'Clique' Culture

The all-rounder had suggested that the team management was like a clique, saying, "If you are in, you are in, and if you are not in, no-one cares about you." Key denied this claim and promised that the team would show a changed behaviour after some poor off-the-field conduct last winter.

"You are always going to have times where, unfortunately, in these roles - especially when you're struggling - you are always going to have people that you have upset along the way coming back at you, and that is absolutely fine," Key said.

Key said that someone cannot handle the job as a head coach/any leadership role of a team and make everyone "absolutely happy".

"But ultimately, Liam Livingstone, or any of these players at the start of the summer in county cricket, they are a chance to play for England," he added.

Livingstone's Recent Form and IPL Stint

Livingstone has arrived in India for a massively important Indian Premier League (IPL) season for him, being bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) last season for Rs 13 crores and will start off against his old franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), with which he won last season's title, on Sunday.

In 2022, Livingstone had a breakout season with the Punjab Kings (PBKS), scoring 437 runs in 14 innings at an average of 36.42 and a strike rate of over 182, with four fifties. He was PBKS' second-highest run-getter that season.

But in the past three seasons, Livingstone has not been at his best, scoring 502 runs in 27 matches and 25 innings at an average of 22.81, with three fifties and a declining strike rate of over 150.

Last year for England, he could score just 74 runs in five T20I matches at an average of 14.80 and a strike rate of 127.58, with a best score of 43.

However, it was his fine showings in the English domestic circuit and The Hundred that put the explosive right-hander back into the good books of IPL franchises ahead of the auction last year. Last year, he had a strong The Hundred season for Birmingham Phoenix, where he scored 241 runs at an average of 40.16, including a fifty and took seven wickets, and an impressive Vitality Blast for Lancashire, amassing 260 runs at an average of 52 and a strike rate above 176, including a half-century, along with six wickets. (ANI)

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