Moeen Ali, England’s all-rounder, believes another all-rounder Liam Livingstone’s injury is not as serious as initially feared and has vouched for his teammate to return soon. He also shed praise for the impact Liam Livingstone had after being selected in the playing XI.
This is Liam Livingstone’s first major ICC event, and he has a pivotal role to play, especially with the bat, given Ben Stokes‘ absence. The spin-bowling all-rounder cemented his place in the T20 squad over the summer but recently endured a bleak IPL campaign for the Rajasthan Royals.
Moeen Ali Thinks And Hopes Liam Livingstone Is Fine After Injuring His Finger In Warm-Up Game Against India
The all-rounder suffered an injury to his finger while attempting to take a catch at deep mid-wicket. England was given a wake-up call in their first warm-up match before the T20 World Cup after Virat Kohli’s India beat them by seven wickets. More worryingly, perhaps, the all-rounder Liam Livingstone was forced off the field with a finger injury after dropping a catch.
Moeen Ali said: ” I think he’s alright. I think it’s just bruising on the back of the hand but I think he’ll be fine. Obviously, it was a bit of a scare at the time but he said it was fine, so hopefully he’s all good. “
Ali added: “He’s a brilliant player – he’s been playing really well over the last couple of years. Hopefully he can carry that form into the World Cup and I feel like it’s going be a big stage for him.”
Liam Livingstone Won’t Feature In Next Warm-Up Game Against New Zealand
Liam Livingstone will reportedly not feature in England’s next warm-up game against New Zealand. He had to leave the field after getting hit on the finger, with Sam Billings replacing him. The 2016 finalists began their campaign with a loss to India in the first warm-up fixture.
The all-rounder appeared to have lost the trajectory of the ball for a brief moment amidst the light at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Liam Livingstone was seen in pain straightaway, with noticeable swelling observed a little while after the incident.
A spokesperson from the England camp confirmed that his injury would be assessed in the next 24 hours. Liam Livingstone put in a handy shift during the warm-up encounter against India.
He registered a bright 30-run cameo with the bat and bowled a two-over spell with the ball, which yielded only ten runs and skipper Virat Kohli’s wicket. The 28-year-old batter scored 30 off 20 deliveries and returned figures of 1-10 in his two overs with the ball, including the wicket of India captain Virat Kohli. Liam Livingstone was named as a replacement for star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who had taken a break from cricket to focus on his mental health.