Loss of ECB central contract sees Livingstone return to Lancashire payroll on a three-year T20 Blast deal through 2028

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Liam Livingstone has signed a new three-year, T20-only contract with Lancashire, a move that effectively draws the curtain on his first-class career. The deal, which runs until the end of the 2028 season, is exclusively for the T20 Blast and makes him highly unlikely to feature in red-ball cricket going forward.

Livingstone’s return to Lancashire’s payroll follows the expiry of his ECB central contract in October. He has not represented England in any format since the Champions Trophy in March, and without a central deal, Lancashire will now cover his salary. While Livingstone has not formally announced his retirement from first-class cricket, the nature of the contract makes a County Championship return improbable—particularly with the allrounder set to spend the first two months of the English season playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.

Earlier in his career, Livingstone showed considerable promise in red-ball cricket. He scored twin first-class centuries for England Lions against Sri Lanka A during the 2016–17 winter and was a prolific run-scorer for Lancashire in the County Championship. He was also part of England’s squad on the 2017–18 tour of New Zealand, although he did not play.

However, Livingstone’s rapid rise as a white-ball specialist after the Covid-19 pandemic transformed his career. Regular IPL contracts and consistent England white-ball selection significantly reduced his red-ball availability. He earned his first and only Test cap as a wildcard allrounder under Brendon McCullum on England’s 2022 tour of Pakistan, but a knee injury sustained while fielding curtailed that opportunity. He has not played a first-class match since.

In T20 cricket, Livingstone remains a key figure for Lancashire. He played an important role in guiding the club to T20 Blast Finals Day last season, although they were beaten by Somerset in the semi-finals amid the absence of several England players.

Reflecting on his decision, Livingstone told LancsTV: “It was pretty easy. I wasn’t going to go anywhere else. I’m obviously very happy. I’ve loved my time playing here. This was my club growing up, so it’s nice to commit another three years.”

He added that Lancashire remains a special place for him: “It’s probably my favourite part of the year, coming back and playing in front of friends and family. Lancashire is my club. This is the one place that feels like home, and over the last few years, it’s been my most enjoyable cricket.”

Livingstone also highlighted Lancashire’s ambitions in the T20 Blast: “It feels like we’re building some nice momentum. We’ve fallen at the final hurdle a couple of times, so hopefully with a bit more luck and composure under pressure, we can go further and win the trophy.”

In addition to his Lancashire commitment, Livingstone has recently signed with London Spirit as one of four men’s pre-signings ahead of next month’s Hundred auction, ending a five-season stint with Birmingham Phoenix.