No. 1 draft pick Liam Livingstone set to miss initial stage of BBL after Test call-up

Melbourne Renegades will miss the services of their No. 1 draft pick Liam Livingstone for the upcoming season of the Big Bash League  (BBL) after the cricketer received a surprise Test call-up. Primarily known as a big-hitting batter in the limited overs format, Livingstone has received a call-up to England’s Test squad due to his off-spin skills. Livingstone has played just eight first-class games since 2020 and is still being trusted with a chance to represent England in the upcoming- three-match Test tour of Pakistan. 

As a result of the Test call-up, the white-ball star will feature in fewer games for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2022-23, which begins on December 13. While he was already set to miss the latter half of BBL’s 12th edition due to the SA20, Livingstone will now miss a few initial games as well. With the three-Test series against Pakistan set to be held from December 1 and 21 in Rawalpindi, Multan, and Karachi respectively, Renegades play six games during the period Livingstone is likely to play only six games ahead of the SA20. 

Liam Livingstone might play his first BBL game this season on Christmas eve

As things stand currently, Livingstone might play his first BBL game of the season for Renegades on Christmas eve against the Hobart Hurricanes, which will be the fourth game for the side. With the draft process for BBL 13 expected to continue, only one appearance can will give Renegades the retention rights for next season. It is understood that Melbourne Renegades were made known about the development earlier this week, as their head coach David Saker is currently working with England's T20 squad.

What has been said so far?

Meanwhile, Renegades general manager James Rosengarten shed his views on Livingstone’s international commitment and said, “We believe Liam can still have a big impact for us in BBL|12, and in our recent discussions, he's still looking forward to being part of our team, being back in the BBL and playing as many games as he can for our club following his international commitment”.  James added that they will continue to work with the 29-year-old allrounder in the coming weeks and will also look for the best replacement available. 

Livingstone was one of the most impressive players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 for Punjab Kings. He hit a total of 437 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 182.08. He previously played for BBL team Perth Scorchers in 2019 and 2020 and hit 851 runs in 28 innings, with the highest score of 79 runs.