Liam Livingstone feels like he has been handed “a new career” as he prepares to captain England for the first time just two months after losing his place in the side.
The dust may barely have settled on England’s Test series defeat in Pakistan but their next assignment is already at hand, as a youthful side begins a white-ball tour of the West Indies.
With Jos Buttler injured, Livingstone has been asked to lead his country in the three-match ODI series which begins in Antigua on Thursday, capping a remarkably swift change in fortunes.
It is only a matter of weeks since he was dropped from the 50-over squad for September’s games against Australia, throwing his future in the format into doubt.
But two big T20 outings against the Australians, coupled with Buttler’s fitness setback, earned him an instant recall and now the 31-year-old finds himself ready to embrace his newly influential role.
“It’s not every day someone tells you you’re going to be England captain, it’s an incredibly proud thing for me,” he told the PA news agency.
“Being left out is all part of professional sport but we’d had a couple of difficult tournaments and maybe I didn’t get out of that rut as quickly as I could have.
“I sat down with Rob Key (managing director of men’s cricket), had a really honest conversation with him and said, ‘All I want is another opportunity and hopefully I can prove you wrong’.
“In the series against Australia, I certainly felt I did that. I’m in a very different place to where I was six or 12 months ago, I feel like a kid, like I’m almost at the start of a new career. I feel like the best of me is still to come.”
Livingstone has often been used as a utility player by England, slotting into the lower middle order and used as an occasional bowler, but as an experienced hand he is increasingly eager to dictate games.
“I’ve always said I know I’m good enough to play for England but maybe I needed more responsibility than I was getting,” he said.
“I don’t think I got that for the last two years; if you’re batting seven and only bowling a couple of overs a game it becomes quite a difficult role for someone who wants to be involved.
“I feel I’ve worked a few things out with my batting and had a really good end to the summer. Now I’m excited to get a bat back in my hand and prove that I’m a better player than someone who bats at seven. I believe I can do more damage if I face 60 balls rather than 20.”
A big part of Livingstone’s job in the Caribbean will be easing in some of the fresh faces, including the uncapped quartet of Dan Mousley, Michael Pepper, John Turner and Jafer Chohan.
It is a task he is taking seriously and one he feels particularly qualified to take when it comes to Jacob Bethell. The exciting 21-year-old debuted against Australia and showed some thrilling glimpses of his talent.
“I see a lot of myself in Jacob but he’s more talented than I ever was and I’m sure he’ll have a way better career,” he said.
“But I still feel like I can accelerate his learning. I remember speaking to him at Lord’s when we trying to take down Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc, I loved being in the middle with him taking on two of the best bowlers in the world. It’s my job as experienced players to help these guys along and make them as comfortable as possible in this environment.
“I want the next few games to be a hell of a lot of fun, play some good cricket, win some games and then hand the reins back to Jos.”
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