England head coach Brendon McCullum (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Liam Livingstone has strongly criticised England’s team management, saying he felt a lack of respect and communication after being dropped from the national side in 2025. The England all-rounder revealed that he has not been part of the setup since March last year and now doubts whether he will return to the team under the current leadership.

Frustration with England management

Livingstone said he only received a brief call from head coach Brendon McCullum informing him that he had been left out of the squad for the West Indies series. The conversation, according to him, lasted barely a minute.“I asked why [I was dropped]. They said they wanted to try someone else. That was off Baz. Wrighty [outgoing selector Luke Wright] didn’t reach out, and Brooky [captain Harry Brook] sent me a text,” Livingstone told ESPNCricinfo.He also expressed disappointment with England’s managing director Rob Key for not communicating with him after the decision.“That probably sums that group up as a collective. Keysy [Rob Key] said nothing . [He] said I’ll speak to you in the summer. I actually rang him one day, and he said he was busy at a Test camp at Loughborough. And then I didn’t hear from him until the end of September,” he added.“That was a bit of an eye-opening experience about the group and the regime: if you’re in, you’re in, and if you’re not in, no one cares about you. That put my mind at ease that my cricket was going to be more enjoyable going forward.”

Struggles with role in the team

Livingstone also recalled asking McCullum for help during the 2025 tour of India when he was struggling with form. However, he felt the advice he received was not helpful.“I was asking for help, and pretty much all I got was that I care too much and I need to chill out a little bit, and everything will take care of itself,” Livingstone said.“When things don’t go right, of course, you’re going to care; if I didn’t care, then I probably wouldn’t want to play the sport.”Another issue for him was constantly being moved around the batting order.“One of my frustrations with playing for England was that whenever I went up the order, I did really well. And then the big boys would come back, and I was always back down at No. 7,” he added.“At the end of the day, I don’t want to be someone that’s a sixth bowler and batting at No. 7. I feel like it’s a waste of my talent, but that’s only my opinion.”

Looking ahead to the IPL

Livingstone, who will play for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League 2026, was not selected for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. However, he said he did not feel disappointed about missing the tournament.“I didn’t miss it one bit,” he said. “There wasn’t any part of me that was wishing I was playing in that team, to be honest.”The all-rounder now hopes a strong IPL season can help him revive his career and possibly earn another chance with England.“Hopefully, I can have a season like the season I had in my first year at Punjab [Kings, in 2022] where I felt like I was playing really well and won loads of games from No. 4,” he said. “[IPL] is a very different experience to anything else throughout the year; it’s a long time away from home – but if you give it everything you’ve got, it can repay you very nicely.”

England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who last played international cricket in March last year during the Champions Trophy, has launched a scathing attack on England’s team management, accusing them of “disrespect” and a lack of communication.

Livingstone directed his criticism at head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key, claiming he received little clarity from the leadership group after being dropped from the national side.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo ahead of travelling to India for the Indian Premier League 2026 season, where he remains a key player for Sunrisers Hyderabad after being retained for INR 13 crore, Livingstone said he did not regret missing England’s T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year.

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“I didn’t miss it one bit,” said Livingstone, who was part of England squads for five consecutive ICC tournaments between 2021 and 2025, including the title-winning T20 World Cup.

“There wasn’t any part of me that was wishing I was playing in that team, to be honest.”

The 32-year-old, who admitted that an international recall now appears unlikely, then revealed details of a brief phone call with McCullum in May last year before he was dropped for England’s home series against the West Indies.

According to Livingstone, the conversation lasted less than a minute.

“I asked why; they said they wanted to try someone else. That was off Baz,” he said.

Livingstone added that then-selector Luke Wright did not reach out, while captain Harry Brook only sent a text message.

Key later called him back in September, but only to inform him that his England contract would not be renewed.

“When I asked about the lack of communication, he said he had 100 more important things to do than speak to you,” Livingstone claimed.

The all-rounder struggled to make a strong impression during McCullum’s tenure as white-ball coach, scoring 88 runs across six ODI appearances, including matches in the Champions Trophy, while also enduring a difficult India–England T20I series that England lost 1–4.

However, Livingstone said he had repeatedly sought guidance from the team management.

“I was asking for help and pretty much all I got was that I care too much and I need to chill out a little bit, and everything will take care of itself,” he said.

“Where I come from, it’s not an easy route to get to play for your country. For someone to keep telling you that you care too much is probably way off the mark, considering the sacrifices families make for years to help you realise that dream.”

NEW DELHI: Sanju Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, recently spoke about his journey after India’s historic title win. The wicketkeeper-batter played a crucial role in the tournament, scoring 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate close to 200. His performances included several match-winning knocks as India went on to lift the trophy at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad after defeating the New Zealand national cricket team in the final.

Long relationship with Gautam Gambhir

While speaking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram, Samson talked about his long-standing bond with India head coach Gautam Gambhir. According to him, their connection goes back many years to when he played for Kolkata Knight Riders.“Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) and I have a very old relationship. I think I met him when I was in KKR. He was the captain of the team and he also lives in Delhi. I also played in the same academy where he was…so it’s a very long relationship and what has happened from there till now, I think cannot be expressed in words,” he told PTI.Samson’s impressive run in the tournament also helped him surpass Virat Kohli’s record of 319 runs in a single T20 World Cup edition by an Indian, which Kohli had set in 2014.

Emotional message from Sachin Tendulkar

The 31-year-old also shared that he received a special message from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar after India’s victory.“I got a message from Sachin, sir. It was a very emotional message for me,” said Samson.India’s triumph was historic, as the India national cricket team became the first side to win three T20 World Cup titles and also the first team to successfully defend the trophy on home soil.

Sanju Samson reflects on his journey

Samson described his comeback in the tournament as one of the most memorable phases of his career. After facing inconsistency and spending time on the bench earlier, he emerged as India’s top performer when it mattered the most, delivering key innings from the Super Eight stage against the West Indies national cricket team to the final.Reflecting on his approach to the game, Samson said he always focuses on being true to himself and playing for the team.“I never wanted to be selfless. I’ve always wanted to be myself. So I bring a lot of different qualities, a lot of strengths, a lot of weaknesses. I like to look at cricket as a team sport. So I think we play to win. And looking at what things have happened in my life lately, I definitely carry a lot of dreams with me. So a lot of youngsters, a lot of people, not even in cricket, a lot of people in different careers, they look at me like their own careers, like their own life,” Samson concluded.