Liam Livingstone could be England’s x-factor in the T20I World Cup

When Will Smeed was dismissed as the second Birmingham Phoenix batter in the final of the recently concluded The Hundred, the Phoenix fans were on their feet, cheering. Because it was their captain Liam Livingstone who was coming out to bat. Legendary Australian cricketer and pundit Shane Warne nicknamed him 'The Beast'. Right now, Livingstone is undoubtedly one of the most ferocious hitters of the cricket ball.

The Phoenix were really struggling at 14 off 19 balls when Livingstone walked out to bat. In no time, he changed the course of the game. Yes, he couldn't finish the game because lazy running between the wickets led to his downfall. But his 19-ball-46 provided sheer entertainment to the crowd at Lord's. Although his team finished second, Livingstone was named the most valuable player of the tournament. Remarkably, he hit more sixes (27) in the tournament than fours (22). Livingstone was comfortably the leading run-scorer of the tournament and maintained a stunning strike-rate of 178. His ability to go all guns blazing right from the beginning is what makes him a valuable player. 

Livingstone hogged the limelight in 2015 when he scored a destructive 350 off 138 balls for his club, which was then the highest individual score in an officially sanctioned one-day game. Livingstone made his T20I debut for England in 2017 but couldn't cement his place in the side. 

After some strong performances in domestic cricket and franchise T20 leagues, he was recalled into the squad for their tour of India earlier this year. Livingstone did well there and lit up the stage in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. 

But he took the cricketing world by storm during the T20I series against Pakistan last month. Livingstone registered the record of the fastest fifty (17 balls) and fastest hundred (42 balls) by an England batter in T20Is in the same match. He didn't get any support from his teammates and England lost the game. In the next match, Livingstone smashed one of the biggest sixes ever (122 metres) in international cricket. Fresh from a sensational outing against Pakistan, Livingstone led Birmingham Phoenix from the front in the absence of Moeen Ali. 

Livingstone is a more than handy bowler having the knack of giving crucial breakthroughs. He can turn the ball away from both the right-handers and left-handers and is a tricky customer to deal with. 

Since their first-round exit in the 2015 World Cup, the dynamics of England cricket have changed altogether. Their approach to white-ball cricket changed drastically and they played attacking cricket irrespective of the situation. England won the 2019 World Cup at home and are now looking to win the upcoming T20 World Cup as well. 

Jos Buttler plays as a finisher in the ODIs but is better suited to open the innings in the shortest format. With Buttler moving up the order, England now need someone to take up that role and Livingstone should fit the bill. He has the experience of batting at multiple positions in white-ball cricket and it will give England a lot of flexibility. 

In the UAE, pitches will get slower as the tournament progresses. Batters will find it difficult to score. That's when the power of Livingstone might come into play. Some quick runs in the end or a cameo as a pinch hitter can make a huge difference. His off-spin and leg-spin will come handy as well. Liam Livingstone can well be the X factor for England in the upcoming T20 World Cup.