Stuart Broad, Michael Atherton, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan reflect on Liam Livingstone's record-breaking hundred for England; Livingstone pummels Pakistan's bowlers to significantly boost his hopes of making T20 World Cup; watch second T20 from 2pm, Sunday, Sky Sports Cricket
Saturday 17 July 2021 14:18, UK
Liam Livingstone - England record breaker.
The Lancashire batsman blazed his nation's fast-ever international century when he reached the milestone from just 42 balls against Pakistan in Friday's T20 international at Trent Bridge.
Livingstone's innings - in which he thumped nine sixes and six fours - came in a losing cause, with England all out for 201 chasing a whopping 233.
But the night was very much a win for Livingstone personally, with his pulsating knock in just his ninth game for his country - and first since leaving 10 days of self-isolation - giving him "the best day of my career" and significantly boosting his hopes of making England's T20 World Cup squad in the UAE and Oman later this year...
"It was brutal. He struck it beautifully from the moment he came in - against seam, against spin. He hit nine sixes and they were all clearing the rope by a country mile!
"It was one of those knocks that you play once in a lifetime really, so to do it so early in his international career is amazing.
"He might well have forced his way into the T20 World Cup squad with a performance like that. I think we'll see a lot more of him in white-ball cricket for England in the future.
"He has such power, and can hit good balls for six. That's what the likes of Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler want in the changing room - people who can play innings like this."
"It was an incredible knock. The biggest compliment I can pay him is that over the last six years as a group our changing room has watched some incredible innings - Buttler, [Jason] Roy, Moeen [Ali] - and that was as good as any of them."
"Livingstone certainly put his hand up [for the T20 World Cup]. It will be very hard not to pick a guy if he is playing like that! I think it was as exciting an innings as I have seen from our white-ball cricketers.
"How clean he hit the ball right from the start was incredible to watch in person and it's exciting to think how powerful that batting unit could be with someone like him in it. It's adding something special.
"There is a lot of thought that goes into his game, a lot of skill, and he works hard at it. This isn't just a God-given gift, he puts a lot of effort in.
"When you see an innings like that knowing what goes on behind the scenes, it's great to see. It's why you do the job of coaching."
"He is an exciting all-round package with what he brings with the ball and the fact he is an exceptional fielder. He is very much a modern T20 cricketer and these are the players you want to draw upon."
He has shown he can perform under the serious pressure of needing 12 an over right from the start. He performed and really took it to the opposition. He is not the finished article, by all means, which is quite frightening to say! Hopefully this is just the start for him.
"What a night for Livingstone! His greatest day in cricket and a fabulous innings from him. He has shown in the franchise T20 leagues that he is a player ready for this level.
"What a versatile player he is. He can bat at the top, bat in the middle, bowl off-spin, leg-spin and his six-hitting ability is fantastic!
"I love being around this environment but I'm not looking too far ahead [to the T20 World Cup]. I've been guilty of doing that before it gets me nowhere, so it's certainly not something I'm doing [now].
"I would say it's the best [day] of my career. I had a look at a couple of balls and then 'away we go'. I felt really good out there and it was just one of those days."
"The most pleasing thing is the work that I've put in, travelling around the world to try and gain the experience and maturity, is all coming together. It's about trying to be a little bit more in control.
"Throughout my career, I've been someone who has been a little more reckless; I've obviously got an ability to strike a ball but the thing I needed to get better at was consistency. Tres [Marcus Trescothick] and Colly [Paul Collingwood] have worked hard to help me with a few little tweaks."
See if Livingstone fires again when England play Pakistan in the second T20 international of the three-match series. Coverage from Emerald Headingley begins at 2pm on Sunday on Sky Sports Cricket.
