LIAM Livingstone knows he has the chance to impress as he readies himself for six weeks of action on Asian wickets.

The 23-year-old Lancashire batsman jets off to Sri Lanka with the England Lions next month for two four-day games and five 50-over matches.

After facing off against Sri Lanka A in the one-day series, the talented Barrow CC product – who had a breakthrough season with the Red Rose in the County Championship last year – will fly to the United Arab Emirates for the inaugural North v South Series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

It is a packed winter programme for a player who was in the UAE before Christmas for a training camp with the Lions, but Livingstone knows it is an opportunity to show what he is made of, with Keaton Jennings having demonstrated what is possible when he was called up to the England first team for the final two Tests in India.

“I loved it in the UAE,” said Livingstone, who helped lead a junior coaching workshop in Barrow during the autumn.

“It was only a training camp with a few games at the end of the tour, but it was good fun and it was good being around people who are at the same stage of their careers as I am. I enjoyed it and it was a good challenge.

“It shows that you’re maybe only one injury away from being called up to the England side, like Keats was. It shows how that environment is pretty much mirrored to the England environment, because you are so close to being there.”

He added: “I didn’t know whether I would be picked for both part of the Sri Lanka tour (the four-day and 50-over games).

“Being picked for both parts was a real bonus, so hopefully I can go out there and do myself justice on both of the tours. You don’t know if you’re going to play, or what role you’re going to play, so I will have to wait and see what happens when we are out there.

“Hopefully I will play in all the games and I’ll try to contribute to the team as much as I can.

“I go straight from Sri Lanka to Dubai for the North versus South series, then I meet all the Lancs boys in Dubai. I’m away for two months, so hopefully that will allow me to get into a rhythm and hit the ground running when we start.

“It’s a good environment to be involved in – it’s all about working hard and learning.

“The key thing for me, at the moment, is to try and learn as quickly as I can and to adapt that into my game. Hopefully I can take that into the series in Sri Lanka, then to Dubai, then when we get back to the season in England.”

The North v South Series will pit players from both regions against each other in the limited-overs format.

Livingstone will be part of the North side coached by one-time Barrow professional Ottis Gibson during the three-match series and he sees it as a great opportunity to play alongside other talented cricketers such as Tim Bresnan, Mark Wood and Ben Duckett.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Livingstone. “There’s always a lot of banter between the lads about who has got the strongest group, the north or the south. I think it’s great competition to go up against people who are at the same stage of their career as I am. I think it will be a good competition.

“Especially with it being away in Dubai, it’s a chance to get to know a few more people, and get to know people who you are playing against week-in, week-out.

“It’s a little showcase of what people can do, a chance for people to have a look at the top performers in county cricket in that environment.

“I think that’s what the series is for, but it will be quite a good rivalry.”