England is currently monitoring the health of their all-rounder, Liam Livingstone, as they prepare for their Super 8s encounter against the West Indies in the T20 World Cup, scheduled for Wednesday (Thursday at 01:30 BST).
Livingstone, 30, who has consistently featured in England's last 15 T20 matches, sustained a side injury while batting during their victory over Namibia on Saturday. As a result, he did not take to the field. During Monday's practice session in St. Lucia, he only briefly batted in the nets and refrained from bowling.
After training, Livingstone returned to the hotel for further treatment, opting out of the range-hitting practice with his teammates. Although he has bowled sparingly in this tournament—just two overs yielding 1-15 in the loss to Australia in Barbados—his ability to deliver both off-spin and leg-spin remains a crucial component of England's bowling arsenal.
In the group stage, Livingstone contributed 13 runs from four balls against Namibia and scored 15 in his sole other innings against Australia. As England prepares to face the West Indies at the Daren Sammy Stadium, a venue anticipated to favour batsmen, Livingstone’s fitness is under scrutiny. The West Indies had previously defeated England 3-2 in a series last year.
The Daren Sammy Stadium has already witnessed high-scoring matches, such as Australia’s chase of 181 to overcome Scotland—a result that facilitated England's progression to this stage at Scotland's expense—and Sri Lanka’s 201-6 against the Netherlands.
England's selection strategy remains a point of intrigue, irrespective of Livingstone's availability. Securing a win would position them favourably to finish in the top two and advance to the semi-finals from Group Two, which also includes South Africa and the United States.
During the Namibia match, England adjusted their lineup by dropping batsman Will Jacks and including all-rounder Sam Curran and bowler Chris Jordan, while resting fast bowler Mark Wood. This change was primarily due to the match being shortened to 10 overs, where Jordan’s expertise in death bowling was deemed more critical.
With Jacks absent, Jonny Bairstow performed admirably at number three, scoring 31 runs, and Harry Brook delivered his best World Cup performance for England, remaining unbeaten on 47 from 20 balls at number four. Should Jacks be reinstated, he could either return to number three or slot in lower in the order, where he has previously batted for England.
If Livingstone is not fit, Curran is likely to assume the number seven spot. Alternatively, England might consider adding another batsman, such as Ben Duckett, who provides a left-handed option, in place of Curran or Jacks. This decision would then involve choosing between Wood’s pace, Jordan’s end-of-innings bowling, and Reece Topley’s left-arm variation to complement Jofra Archer in the attack.
Sam Curran, the standout player in England's 2022 World Cup triumph, made his first appearance in this tournament against Namibia. Curran, who was awarded an MBE in 2023 for his performances in Australia, expressed how challenging it has been to watch from the sidelines.
Curran remarked that he remains hopeful of getting opportunities in the upcoming games, potentially in the World Cup final, but accentuated that he must stay ready regardless of whether he plays.