Liam Plunkett opens up on missing out spot in England team

Liam Plunkett’s international career has not taken off. Having made his debut long back in 2005, the 36-year-old has represented the country in 13 Tests, 89 ODIs and 22 ODIs in what has been a start-stop career.

Either due to a dip in form or the rise of players of higher calibre around him, despite being a talented prospect, Plunkett could never quite make the national team spot his own. He last represented England in the 2019 ODI World Cup final, where he ended up with figures of 3/42.

However, thanks to options like Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan and a few more, it did not take time for Plunkett to go away from the selection radar. In a recent interaction, the right-arm pacer revealed how he could not watch his team play at one stage because of the frustration of not being one amongst them.

I might have watched the odd highlight, but never a game: Liam Plunkett

“I don’t think I watched any England games during that time (when Plunkett was struggling in County cricket and was in the reserves for Durham around 2011-2012) because I was jealous of not being there. I might have watched the odd highlight, but I’d never sit down and watch a game. Now it’s the opposite and I’m more than happy to watch England. I’ll even get up early in the US to watch them,” he revealed.

Despite having an impressive run during the ODI World Cup 2019 where he bagged 11 wickets in seven games with an economy of 4.86, Plunkett does not find himself in national contention anymore.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss England, You practice and play with them constantly, watch them improve, and that inspires you to get better. I consider pretty much all of the England guys my friends and then all of a sudden, you’re not a part of that picture anymore. You go from spending months away with these people and going out for dinner together and things like that to it stopping,” he said.

“England is the highest team I can play for and I was disappointed with how it all finished, but I can take my last game for them being a win in a World Cup final. I’d definitely have taken that when I was playing for Durham seconds a few years before,” he signed off.