Eoin Morgan single-handedly changed England's white-ball cricket since 2015: Liam Livingstone [Interview]

Over the course of time, Liam Livingstone has emerged as one of the impressive players in the shortest format of the game. He starred for England in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2021 as well. His performances have made him an important asset of any team in the T20 format.

His hard-hitting abilities and dominating style of play have made him a mainstay in white-ball cricket. He also comes in handy with the ball and can change the fortunes of the game from any given point. Having played in different T20 leagues around the world like the Indian Premier League, Australia’s Big Bash, the England cricketer has a plethora of experience under his sleeves.

Recently, he signed a new deal with Lancashire which will extend through the end of the 2024 season. The all-rounder’s flexibility to bat at any position and deliver results furthermore makes him an important asset for any team.

CricTracker caught up with the all-rounder for an exclusive interview wherein he spoke about his game and several other topics. From playing under Eoin Morgan to the toughest bowler to face in the T20s, he shed light on many such fascinating aspects.

Here are the Excerpts:

You were filling Ben Stokes’ place in England’s T20 WC squad. Was there any pressure of that factor?

No, not really. I don’t see myself as I am filling somebody else’s place. So definitely there wasn’t any pressure I felt like I was getting into the World Cup squad on merit.

You’ve been superb with the ball of late, do you devote equal time to batting and bowling during your training sessions?

Yeah probably over the last four or five years I have been working hard on my bowling and it is paying off. I obviously don’t try and ignore my batting so I work as hard on both bowling and batting.

You have opened and also played in the middle-order. Which role if given a choice, you would love the most?

Probably one of my strengths currently is being adaptable and flexible in most positions. There have been different challenges and that’s been my strength to bat anywhere in the top seven in the England side.

How was Sangakkara’s impact on the RR dressing room? Did he give any tips to you about batting?

He did not give any specific tips as such but it is nice to spend time around someone who has played so much cricket.

England’s white-ball cricket transformed under Morgan’s captaincy. Your thoughts on Morgan as captain?

Morgan has been brilliant. He is probably the best captain I have ever played under. The way he leads the unit is very good and his records speak for him. He has single-handedly changed England’s white-ball cricket since 2015 and it has gone on from there. Everyone who has played under Morgan feels exactly the same. Everyone has the most respect for him for what he has done and is still our best player. He encouraged me to be myself and for a player like me, it is a key to being successful.

Your thoughts on Sanju Samson?

He is brilliant. He is a supremely talented boy and from what I have seen he has the talent to be very successful in international cricket. Probably, in years to come he will make a comeback in the national team.

You played with and against a lot of young Indian cricketers during IPL 2021. Which cricketer impressed you the most and why?

What Venkatesh Iyer did in the second half was very impressive. He is a very good talent for Indian cricket. I was speaking to Morgan and he also rates him very highly. Venkatesh Iyer is probably one of the reasons why KKR did so well.

The toughest bowler to face according to you?

Rashid Khan, as not a lot of people can pick him at the moment. It is enjoyable and challenging to face him every time.

Your favorite current cricketer and why?

He just retired. AB De Villiers has been an idol for so many people. If you asked me a few months ago, then yes it is him but he is retired now.

What is on the radar for you in the coming years, playing for England?

I am not looking too ahead of time. I am just excited about playing cricket and hopefully having a successful series in the West Indies.