T20 World Cup 2021: "It was a bit of a scare at the time but he said it was fine" - Moeen Ali downplays concern over Livingstone's injury
England all-rounder Moeen Ali believes Liam Livingstone's injury is not as serious as initially feared and has vouched for his team-mate to return soon. He also shed praise for the impact Livingstone had after being selected in the playing XI.
This is 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 endured a bleak IPL campaign for the Rajasthan Royals recently.
The all-rounder suffered an injury to his finger while attempting to take a catch at deep mid-wicket. Ali told ESPNCricinfo:
"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."
Moeen Ali continued right where he left off in the 2021 IPL Final. The all-rounder scored 43 off just 20 balls for England in the warm-up fixture. Ali was lethal in the death overs and unleashed carnage against Bhuvneshwar Kumar in particular.
Livingstone a major doubt for England's next warm-up fixture
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.
England suffer Liam Livingstone injury scare in #T20WorldCup warm-up game vs India
mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/… https://t.co/9hNsd7ymyF
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. 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.
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 only yielded 10 runs and the wicket of skipper Virat Kohli.
A bad sight for England.
Liam Livingstone leaves the field with what looks like an injured finger.
#T20WorldCup2021 https://t.co/4AOxrGT09f