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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

David Lloyd names two uncapped players England must pick after their Ashes humiliation

David Lloyd has urged England to pick uncapped Lancashire duo Liam Livingstone and Saqib Mahmood for their upcoming Test series against the West Indies.

Both players have been in England Test squads before, but have only ever represented their country in white-ball cricket.

"I will give you two who should be going to the Caribbean with England in March," Lloyd told the Daily Mail.

"I might be shot down because they are from my county but I think I can spot a player.

"Saqib Mahmood is one but it is batters we need most and Liam Livingstone is an aggressive, no-nonsense one.

David Lloyd has called for Liam Livingstone and Saqib Mahmood to be named in England's next Test squad (PA)

"His first-class record isn't great but I just see a real performer there."

Livingstone last made an England Test squad in March 2018, but has largely focused on white-ball cricket since then and averaged 18.50 and 11.00 in first-class cricket over the past two years.

However, the 28-year-old does still have a career average of almost 40 and has spoken publicly about his ambitions of playing Test cricket.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in September, Livingstone said: "It's something I'm not giving up on and hopefully I can get time to work on it.

"Test cricket is still the pinnacle of our sport and it's what everybody dreams of playing growing up. I would love to play Test cricket one day."

Mahmood, meanwhile, was called up as an injury replacement for Stuart Broad in the recent Test series against India and he was part of the England Lions side which went to Australia alongside the Ashes squad.

The Lancashire duo are uncapped at Test level (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

After his time with the Lions came to an end, Mahmood joined up with Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash and picked up 13 wickets at an average of 16.15.

In last year's County Championship, he took 28 wickets at an average of 23.89.

Both Livingstone and Mahmood are part of England's T20 squad for the five-match series against the West Indies later this month.

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