Steven Croft Slams "Stupid" Schedule After Livingstone Injury Amid County Cricket Review

Lancashire interim head coach Steven Croft has criticised the current county cricket schedule as "stupid" and "a bit of a mess" after England international Liam Livingstone suffered a hamstring injury playing back-to-back T20 matches over the weekend. The injury is expected to rule Livingstone out for the remainder of the T20 Blast group stage.

Livingstone sustained the injury during Lancashire’s win over Derbyshire on Saturday, less than 24 hours after playing in their victory against Northamptonshire on Friday night. The team did not arrive back in Manchester until 3:30am due to heavy traffic on the M1, and were back on the field for a 3pm start the same day.

Saqib Mahmood also left the field during Saturday’s match with an injury, further highlighting concerns over player welfare.

Speaking to LancsTV, Croft said: "They're some of the world's best players out there… It feels pretty stupid and silly, and is putting the players at risk. We saw two players walk off the field through injury."

While Croft acknowledged that Livingstone’s injury could have happened at any time, he was critical of the demands placed on players. "Getting minimal sleep and such a quick turnaround to play elite sport is a tough one… I probably wouldn't say it's all down to the schedule – it might be – but it's not helped one bit."

The incident comes as a review of the domestic cricket calendar gathers pace, with county teams and the ECB discussing reforms for the 2026 season. The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has long pushed for a reduction in back-to-back T20 fixtures, which remain common in the Blast schedule. Most games are packed into Thursday-to-Sunday windows to maximize attendance and broadcasting opportunities.

Proposed changes for the T20 Blast in 2026 include reverting to a three-group format of six teams each, reducing the number of group matches per team from 14 to 12. Quarter-finals and Finals Day are also expected to move to July, ensuring the tournament concludes before The Hundred begins, rather than being split between competitions.

However, the County Championship's future remains less certain. Some options on the table include reducing the season to 12 matches per team, while others aim to retain the current 14-match structure. Somerset and Surrey have publicly supported maintaining the full season, with Surrey officials citing high attendances and the unique value of the red-ball format.

"There is so much potential for the competition to grow its fanbase," said Surrey chair Oli Slipper and chief executive Steve Elworthy in a joint statement. "The red-ball game needs all the counties to get behind it, to prioritise it and to promote it. It is a unique and historic sporting competition, and we should embrace it for the benefit of the whole game."

The ongoing review is being led by the Professional Game Committee, a subcommittee of the ECB chaired by Warwickshire chair Mark McCafferty. A final decision on the 2026 domestic schedule is expected later this month. Any changes will require the backing of at least 12 of the 18 first-class counties.