Liam Livingstone has signed a new three-year T20 Blast contract with Lancashire, marking the end of his first-class Cricket career. His previous ECB central contract expired in October, and England has not selected him for any matches since the Champions Trophy in March. The club will cover his salary under this new contract, which lasts until the end of the 2028 season.
While Livingstone has not officially retired from first-class cricket, his new contract allows him to play only T20 Blast matches, not County Championship matches during the upcoming summer season. He will spend the first two months of the English season playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, further limiting his chances in red-ball cricket.
Earlier in his career, Livingstone showed promise as a first-class player, scoring two centuries for England Lions against Sri Lanka A during the 2016-17 winter. He also performed well in the County Championship for Lancashire and was part of the England squad for the 2017-18 New Zealand tour, though he did not play any matches.
His skills in white-ball cricket improved quickly after the Covid-19 pandemic. His performance in the IPL opened more opportunities with England, which reduced his red-ball chances. The England Test team used him as an allrounder when Brendon McCullum gave him his Test debut against Pakistan in December 2022. He hasn’t played first-class cricket since suffering a knee injury during that match.
In the previous year, Livingstone was instrumental in Lancashire’s success on T20 Blast Finals Day. The team was defeated in the semi-finals with several England players unavailable for selection.
Livingstone expressed his happiness with the new contract: “I’m very happy. I’ve loved my time playing here for many years. This has been my club growing up, so it’s nice to commit for another three years. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead. It feels like we’re building some good momentum in T20 cricket. Lancashire is my club, and it feels like home throughout the year. It’s been one of my most enjoyable experiences in cricket.”
Additionally, he has become one of the four pre-signings for London Spirit ahead of next month’s Hundred auction, after dedicating five seasons to Birmingham Phoenix.
