Liam Livingstone criticizes England, Rob Key and Brendon McCullum

“I don’t think so,” Livingstone said, describing how he was dropped by England last summer [the call] You have reached one minute. I asked why, they said they wanted to try someone else’s. That was out of the gate [McCullum].

“Casey didn’t say anything – he said ‘I’ll talk to you in the summer’. I rang him one day and he said he was busy at a test camp in Loughborough. And then I didn’t hear from him until the end of September.

“That was a bit of an eye-opening experience about the group and the system: if you’re a member, you’re a member, and if you’re not, no one cares about you. That made me feel good that my cricket was going to be a lot more fun going forward.”

After Livingstone publicly raised the lack of contact from Key, the former England player told Sky Sports: “I don’t know if he has a phone, or if he’s allowed to ring, he’s 32 – it’s not difficult. If you want to know where you are, you’ve got my number mate.”

Livingston said he eventually spoke to Key in September, when the lack of communication was discussed.

Livingston said Key told him he had “100 more important things to do than talk to you.”

Although Livingstone believes he will not play for England again under the current management, England have insisted that the door remains open for his selection. England is also conflicted by the nature of the conversation between Key and Livingstone.

Livingston’s place in the England team went to fellow all-rounder Willjack, who won four Player of the Match awards in the T20 World Cup and was named in the Team of the Tournament.

“I haven’t missed it one bit,” said Livingstone, who has played exactly 100 matches for England across formats, won his only Test match for Pakistan in 2022 and took over as white-ball captain at the end of 2024.

Referring to the T20 World Cup, he said: “There was no part of me that wished to play in this team, to be honest.”

Livingstone will now join Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Super League, then return to England to play for Lancashire in the Blast and London Spirit in The Hundred.