Who is Liam Livingstone?

Lancashire's Liam Livingstone has been called into England's Test squad to face New Zealand. So what do we know about the Red Rose skipper?

The vital statistics

Born: Barrow-in-Furness, Cumberland

Age: 24

Role: Right-hand bat (Livingstone also bowls leg-breaks and off-spin, which he cultivated one summer after breaking both wrists taking a catch)

County: Lancashire

First-class record: 31 matches, 1,950 runs at 48.75, HS 224, six hundreds, 10 fifties.

T20I: Two matches, 16 runs at 8.00, HS 16.

Livingstone puts his name firmly on the map

Before he had made a first-class appearance for his county, Livingstone made a name for himself by crashing 350 off 138 balls for Cheshire side Nantwich CC in a National Club Championship match against Caldy.

The explosive batsman hit 34 fours and 27 sixes as Nantwich posted 579-5. Caldy were 79 all out in reply, handing Nantwich a 500-run victory.

The Lancashire debut

Livingstone made his first-class debut for Lancashire in April 2016, against Nottinghamshire, making 70 batting No.7. Livingstone followed his debut knock with and unbeaten century at Taunton and would go on to score 815 runs at 50.93 in his breakout season.

Livingstone hit 803 runs in last summer’s County Championship and was named Lancashire captain – replacing Steven Croft – in November.

Livingstone emulates KP with Lions hundreds

In February 2017 Livingstone matched a feat only Kevin Pietersen had managed before him. The Lancashire batsman followed a first-innings 105 with an unbeaten 140 in the second as England fell to defeat against Sri Lanka A. Pietersen is the only other to score a century in both innings of a match for England B, England A or England Lions.

International debut

There was a first full international call-up last summer as Livingstone featured in England’s second and third T20Is against South Africa.

In the second match of the series, at Taunton, nerves maybe played a role as Livingstone dropped Chris Morris in the deep and then struggled to break into his stride with the bat.

In England’s chase he was lucky not be out caught behind on seven and was well contained by the Proteas attack – scoring 16 from 18, hitting one boundary and being run out in the final over - as England fell four runs short of victory.

He would get a second go in the third T20I at Cardiff – skipper Eoin Morgan standing aside to give Livingstone another game - but failed to grab the opportunity. The Lancashire man - looking to play a scoop shot - was bowled first ball by Dane Paterson.

It was a two-match stint that perhaps belied his natural talent. Livingstone doesn’t seem like the sort of chap to let an opportunity pass him by twice.

Praise from the top

National Selector James Whitaker was full of praise for the Lancashire skipper after his Test call up.

“Liam has been a player that we have been impressed with for quite some time, having performed well in the county system with Lancashire and over the past couple of years with the England Lions.

“He is a very talented and tough cricketer who has the ideal qualities and character to be successful in the Test arena.

“During the recent Lions tour of Australia, he was a standout performer and showed a lot of maturity in his attitude and put in some strong performances. We are particularly impressed with the way he bats against spin and is equally adept against the seamers. Liam is also highly regarded at his county Lancashire and will captain the side in the Specsavers County Championship during the 2018 campaign.”

The man

Back in June last year Livingstone spoke to Tanya Aldred for The Cricketer.

“My carefree, it sounds wrong but my ‘don’t-really-care’, attitude definitely helped me in my growing up. I’m very against goal setting and planning… whether you have a good or bad day the sun will come up and you just get on with it.

“I think if you are weak mentally, cricket is a lot harder. People describe me as fearless and I think you can see that in the way I play.

The schedule of a Test cricketer can be gruelling at times, Livingstone seems equipped to deal with the pressure.

England squad: Root, Moeen Ali, Anderson, Bairstow, Broad, Cook, Crane, Foakes, Livingstone, Malan, Overton, Stokes, Stoneman, Vince, Woakes, Wood.