Liam Livingstone has launched a scathing attack on the management of the England team, accusing head coach Brendon McCullum and chief executive Rob Key of poor communication and a lack of support during one of the toughest stages of his international career.
The explosive remarks came after the 32-year-old all-rounder, who has made 100 appearances for England across formats, revealed he has been out of action for the national team for almost a year and now believes a recall is unlikely.
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Livingstone was dropped from England’s white-ball squad after a slump in form and a disappointing tour of India in 2025, as well as the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. He said his relationship with the team management soured after he was left out of the home white-ball series against the West Indies last May.
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According to Livingstone, McCullum informed him of the decision during a phone call that lasted less than a minute.
“I don’t think it (the call) took a minute. I asked why; they said they wanted to try someone else. That was out of Baz. Wrighty (outgoing selector Luke Wright) didn’t reach out and Brooky (captain Harry Brook) sent me a text,” Livingstone told ESPNcricinfo.
‘100 more important things to do’
The Lancashire star reserved some of his harshest criticism for Rob Key. Livingstone said Key initially told him they would talk “over the summer”, but months went by with virtually no contact.
When they finally spoke again at the end of September, just before Livingstone’s central contract expired, the all-rounder said Key informed him his contract would not be renewed. When Livingstone questioned the lack of communication, he claimed that Key bluntly replied, “I’ve got 100 more important things to do than talk to you.”
“That probably sums up this group as a collective. Keysy didn’t say anything – (he) said I’ll talk to you in the summer. I actually called him one day and said he was busy at the Loughborough test camp. And then I didn’t hear from him until the end of September,” Livingstone said.
‘I asked for help’
He also revealed that the Champions Trophy was the “worst experience” of his career. Livingstone managed just 33 runs in three matches at an average of 11 as England crashed out in the group stage after losing all three of their matches. He struggled for form and said he sought help from the England coaches but was told he was “worrying too much” and needed to “cool down”.
“I asked for help and basically all I got was that I care a lot and I need to calm down a bit and everything will take care of itself. To have someone keep telling you that you care a lot is probably a bit out of line to be honest with what you’re going through and with parents who sacrifice so much for years on end to make your dream come true,” Livingstone said.
“I was just trying to ask for help to get better: what do they see that’s not going right? You’d hit a couple down the middle of the bat and they’d say, ‘Great, you found it. Let’s go back to the hotel.’ It was not the most pleasant experience for me. If you ask me about my hopes for the future, all I would say is that I want to enjoy playing cricket and I’m not going to do anything I don’t enjoy,” added Livingstone.
Despite England’s absence from recent international cricket, Livingstone remains a sought-after name on the global T20 circuit. He was signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 13 crore in the IPL 2026 auction. He also featured for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 and Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 earlier this year.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
16 March 2026 22:25 IST
