Young Red Rose aces sign new contracts

CRICKET CHRIS OSTICK

LIAM Livingstone and Saqib Mahmood have signed new contracts with the club.

A week after signing 42-year-old Shivnarine Chanderpaul and 31-year-old Dane Vilas for the 2017 campaign, Lancashire have moved to tie down two players they see as the future of the side.

Livingstone, who is 23, has extended his contract until 2019 having had an impressive season in all formats of the game last year.

And 19-year-old Mahmood has put pen to paper on a deal which sees him through until 2018.

Both players, who graduated through the Lancashire Academy, played for England Lions last year against Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A.

Fast-bowler Mahmood is in South Africa taking part in the ECB Pace Programme, while batsman Livingstone is with the England Lions in Sri Lanka alongside Red Rose team-mate Haseeb Hameed.

New Lancashire head coach Glen Chapple said: “We’re delighted Liam and Saqib have signed new deals with the club. They are two highly promising young cricketers who have made real progress over the last 12 months.

“Both are going to form an important part of the side in the next few years, in all formats. We are very excited to see how their development continues in the coming years.”

Livingstone made his first class debut in the opening game of the 2016 season and went on to hit two centuries, with a top score of 108 not out against Somerset. He averaged over 50 in the County Championship.