Zak Crawley Archives

Ashes 2025: England ‘flat’ as Zak Crawley admits Australia ‘a better side’

ADELAIDE: Opener Zak Crawley said the mood in the England dressing room was “flat” on Saturday as they stared down the barrel of losing the Ashes 2025 within three Tests, admitting Australia were the better side.

England are still 228 runs adrift from the mammoth 435 the hosts set them to win in Adelaide, with just four wickets left and a daunting task ahead on day five.

Should they lose, the five-match series will be decided with Tests in Melbourne and Sydney, still to come, after Australia won the opening two clashes in Perth and Brisbane by eight wickets.

“They’re just flat,” said Crawley, who hit a composed 85, of his teammates. “We came here to win the Ashes, we’re always an optimistic team, an upbeat team, and we’ll try and put up as much fight as we can.”

“Obviously very disappointing,” he added. “It’s an uphill battle from here, but the boys are going to give it a good crack tomorrow.”

Zak Crawley at least found form with the grittiest of knocks, adding 78 with Joe Root, then 68 with Harry Brook, defending well and attacking loose balls.

He was undone when spin wizard Nathan Lyon tempted him down the wicket to be stumped by Alex Carey.

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Crawley said while he was at the crease, he always believed England had a chance.

“When you’re at the crease, you never consider that the game’s over, you always think like that as long as you’re there,” he said.

“When you get out, obviously, those feelings change. But when I was out there, I felt like we had great players at the crease and coming in.”

England headed to Australia with high hopes, but it has been mostly one-way traffic despite the series being hyped beforehand as having the hallmarks of being a classic.

Crawley admitted England had been outplayed by a better side.

“They’re a very, very good side. I feel like it was always going to be tough coming here, against them,” he said. “They were the favourites going into it, and they’ve proven why.”

“Obviously, we’ve been slightly short of our best, but a lot of credit has to go to them. They’ve not allowed us to be our best.”

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Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley break England’s longstanding record against India

LONDON: England’s opening pair Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley created history on Friday after setting a new opening record here at the Oval in the fifth Test of the series against India.

The opening pair provided England a belligerent start after bundling out the visitors for a modest 224-run total.

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett added 92 runs for the first wicket in just 12.5 overs. With this stand, the opening pair surpassed Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss to record the most runs as a pair against India.

Cook and Strauss have opened for England for six years from 2006 to 2012, amassing an overall of 4711 runs in 117 innings. England’s most successful opening pair notched up 12 century stands and 18 half-centuries in that period at an impressive average of 40.96

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett have so far amassed 984 runs as an opening pair in 18 innings, whereas Cook and Strauss had scored 932 runs in 20 innings against India.

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Additionally, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett levelled with the former West Indies opening pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes for most half-century stands against India in Test cricket.

The duo have stitched together eight 50-plus opening stands against India.

Meanwhile, Akash Deep ended the brisk opening stand with Ben Duckett, who fell after making 42 off 38 balls with the aid of two maximums and five fours.

In a short time, Zak Crawley was also removed, making 64 off 57 balls, reducing the home side to 129-2 in pursuit of India’s first innings total.

It is pertinent to note that India is trailing 2-1 in the series and needs a win to level the series, whereas a draw will hand the England Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

READ: Ireland unveil squad for T20I series against Pakistan

England’s Zak Crawley ‘owes’ himself more good performances

England opener Zak Crawley said, “I owe it to myself to have a few more good performances” following his sparkling 84 in the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford.

Crawley has long been a polarising figure in English cricket, given his modest average of 31.40 from 58 Tests, including a mere five hundreds, a poor return from a specialist batter.

But, significantly, England captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have never lost faith in the 27-year-old, despite all Crawley’s critics, including former skipper Michael Vaughan, believing he is failing to do his talent justice.

And the Kent right-hander repaid some of the England management’s confidence with 84 on Thursday at a ground where he made a stunning 189 during the 2023 Ashes.

Crawley and opening partner Ben Duckett, who also missed out on a hundred on Thursday when falling for 94, launched England’s reply to India’s first-innings 358 with a swashbuckling stand of 166 in 32 overs.

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England ended the second day on 225-2, a deficit of 133 runs.

“I always want more from myself and I’ve certainly wanted more for myself than I’ve got in the last year or so,” said Zak Crawley, whose elegant style has often, if perhaps unfairly, led to accusations of a cavalier attitude.

“I just feel like I owe it to myself to have a few more good performances. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten out in my life and not been annoyed, and I was certainly annoyed (after getting out on Thursday).”

Crawley and left-hander Duckett, also unable to reach three figures Thursday when falling for 94, delighted the Manchester crowd just a week after being caught up in a time-wasting row in the third Test at Lord’s.

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Crawley and Duckett run riot before India hit back in fourth Test

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett got England off to a flying start in their first innings of the fourth Test before India ensured both openers fell agonisingly short of centuries.

England were 225-2 at stumps on the second day at Old Trafford, a deficit of 133 runs, after they dismissed India for 358, with captain Ben Stokes taking five wickets and an injured Rishabh Pant making a gutsy fifty for the tourists.

The hosts are 2-1 up in this five-match contest, and a win in Manchester would see England clinch the series ahead of next week’s finale in London at the Oval.

Crawley (84) and Duckett (94) shared an opening stand of 166 — just the duo’s fifth century partnership in 53 Test innings together.

The inconsistent Crawley, labelled the “luckiest player to have won as many England caps as he has” by 2005 Ashes-winning skipper Michael Vaughan, played some trademark stylish drives, but he also survived a confident lbw appeal on 26 from Mohammed Siraj after offering no stroke to the fast bowler.

Crawley, however, fell frustratingly short of what would have been merely his sixth century in 58 Tests when he nicked Ravindra Jadeja to slip, where KL Rahul held a fine low catch.

It was the end of a sparkling 113-ball innings, featuring 13 fours and a six. Duckett was no slouch either, taking three fours off debutant Anshul Kamboj’s first over in Test cricket.

Kamboj was only in the side after fellow paceman Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out due to a knee injury suffered during England’s dramatic 22-run win at Lord’s last week.

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But Duckett also flicked Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, off his pads for two fours in three balls.

The left-hander was eyeing his second hundred of the series, following a brilliant 149 in England’s five-wicket win in the first Test at Headingley, when he edged an intended cut off Kamboj to reserve wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, deputising for the injured Pant.

As Kamboj celebrated his maiden Test wicket, a crestfallen Duckett trudged off with England 197-2.

Pant returned to action earlier Thursday after a severe foot injury.

The vice-captain had to retire hurt on 37 during Wednesday’s opening day when struck a painful blow on the foot attempting an audacious reverse-sweep off a Chris Woakes yorker.

After Shardul Thakur fell to Stokes for 41, leaving India 314-6, Pant slowly made his way down the dressing room steps and out into the middle.

The left-hander’s movements were restricted, but runners are no longer allowed in international cricket.

However, there was nothing Pant could do as Stokes cleaned up the tail at the other end.

When Kamboj was caught behind off the England skipper for a duck it meant Stokes had his first five-wicket haul in a Test since a career-best 6-22 against the West Indies at Lord’s in 2017.

The all-rounder finished with 5-72 in 24 overs, a fine return after his future as a lively medium-pacer was threatened by repeated hamstring trouble.

Pant reached his half-century in 69 balls, including a pulled six off Jofra Archer despite his lack of mobility, before he was bowled by the paceman for 54.

India resumed earlier on Thursday on 264-4 and, in overcast, bowler-friendly conditions, soon slumped to 266-5 as Archer struck with just his fifth ball of the day, an excellent delivery inducing Jadeja, on a run of four successive fifties, to edge low to second slip where Harry Brook held a sharp low catch to remove the all-rounder for 20.

Stokes went against history by sending India into bat on Wednesday. No team winning the toss and bowling first has ever won a Test at Old Trafford.

But India needs to make history of their own if they are to maintain their hopes of a series victory, as they have never won a Test at Old Trafford.

The fifth India-England Test will be played at the Oval on 31 July.

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‘He is never out of form’: England batter calls Babar Azam a major threat

England batter Zak Crawley has spoken highly of former Pakistan captain Babar Azam and identified him as a significant danger leading up to the upcoming Test series, commencing on 7th October in Multan.

Babar has been under tight scrutiny due to his below-par performances recently, the highlight of which was his dismal run in the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh last month.

He managed a meagre 64 runs in four innings during the Bangladesh series, consequently, crashing out of the top ten list in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.

He last crossed the 50-run mark in red-ball cricket back in December 2022 against New Zealand with a marathon 161-run knock. Since then, he has played 16 innings with a highest score of 39 against Sri Lanka in July 2023.

However, Zak Crawley, during the press conference after England’s practice session in Multan on Friday, stated that Babar Azam is not out of form.

“I would never say that Babar Azam is out of form. The way he plays is beautiful, he is a graceful player,” said Crawley.

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The 26-year-old batter further shared that England’s bowlers have to be at their best to get Babar out in the upcoming series.

“He’s a class act and we have to be at our best to get him out,” he added.

It’s worth noting that Babar Azam on Tuesday, stunned the cricket fraternity when he announced that he was stepping down from the role of Pakistan’s white-ball captain with immediate effect.

In a detailed statement, issued on his social media platforms, the right-handed batter shared he made the decision to focus on his “playing role”.

Meanwhile, Zak Crawley also acknowledged the strength of Pakistan’s batting lineup and emphasized that England would not be underestimating them.

“As a batter myself, I know that form comes and goes, but class never leaves you. That batting line-up of Pakistan is a class batting line-up. We don’t underestimate them,” he said.

“There are guys in there who can take the game away from you. So, we are going to be at our best to get them out and win the series,” he concluded.

READ: England captain Ben Stokes doubtful for first Test against Pakistan

England receive major boost ahead of first Test against Pakistan

England received a significant boost ahead of the first of the three-match Test series against Pakistan as top-order batter Zak Crawley has revealed that he is ready to return to the action.

Crawley was out of the action due to a fractured finger. He sustained the injury while attempting a catch in the last Test of the three-match series against West Indies back in July.

The top-order batter missed the home Test series against Sri Lanka due to the injury, but he declared himself fit on Friday for the first Test against Pakistan, which will start on 7 October.

“The finger is all right. It’s as good as it could be at this stage,” Zak Crawley said after England’s first training session in Multan on Friday.

“I’ve recovered well from it. It was a nasty break at the time, but I’ve recovered well and I don’t feel it at all while I’m batting. In the field, I haven’t done too much. I’m trying to rest it, but I did a few catches there [in training] and it feels fine.”

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However, he revealed that the doctor has advised him against fielding at slips to avoid the reoccurrence of the injury.

“I won’t go at slip, just from advice from the doctor. I feel like I could, but I’m just trying to follow the professional advice,” he shared.

“It feels back to normal now, so I’m looking forward to cracking on… I feel brand new. I’m looking forward to getting out there. I’ve certainly missed it, so I can’t wait to get out there again with the boys.”

The three-match series between Pakistan and England will run from October 7 to 28 and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

Squads:

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

England: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

READ: England captain Ben Stokes doubtful for the first Test against Pakistan

Two England players eye comeback for Pakistan series

Opening batter Zak Crawley and left-arm spinner Jack Leach are likely to make a comeback for England for their upcoming Test series against Pakistan.

England will tour Pakistan for a three-match Test series, scheduled to run from October 7 to 24 with matches scheduled in Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi respectively.

Meanwhile, experienced Somerset spinner Jack Leach, who has been out of the England Test side since 2018 is hopeful to make his long-awaited comeback, banking on his magnificent performance in the County Championship.

Leach was one of the most pivotal parts of the Ben Stokes-led England Test team but a series of injuries put him out of the international circuit.

Jack Leach acknowledged the competition from youngster Shoaib Bashir, who made notable inroads early into his Test career, picking up three five-wicket hauls in eight matches but the former remained optimistic that England may pick both the spinners for the Pakistan tour.

“I totally understand the reason why Bash has been selected,” Leach said. “I rate him really highly and think he is already a very good bowler with a lot of promise for the future. We have worked together a lot and I am very proud of him and want to see him flourish. But there is a tour to Pakistan coming up and if England need me, I am more than happy to go.”

“I would imagine they will take more than one spinner and I feel I am getting back to my best after almost a year with niggles that have taken some overcoming. You don’t always realise how hard it is to come back from injuries,” he said.

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“Long spells like I have had against Durham certainly help in that respect. It would be nice if both Shoaib and myself could make the Pakistan tour and there is no reason why that can’t happen. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I am as determined as I ever have been to play for England,” he added.

On the other hand, opening batter Zak Crawley has been out of the action since the last Test of the three-match series against West Indies. He fractured his finger while attempting a catch.

Crawley is now in a race against time as the typical recovery period for a broken finger is approximately six to eight weeks, and the upcoming series against Pakistan was nine weeks away at the time of his injury.

READ: Ahmed Shehzad lambasts Pakistan over collapse against Bangladesh

Zak Crawley out as England announce squad for Sri Lanka Tests

The England and Wales Cricket (ECB) on Sunday announced a 14-member squad for the upcoming home Test series against Sri Lanka, with top-order batter Zak Crawley missing out due to an injury.

England will host Sri Lanka for a three-match Test series, starting on August 21 at Old Trafford.

Crawley has been ruled out of the series due to a fractured finger. He sustained the injury while attempting a catch in the last Test of the three-match series against West Indies.

In Crawley’s absence, Dan Lawrence is expected to open the innings alongside Ben Duckett during the Sri Lanka series.

England are scheduled to tour Pakistan for a three-match Test series in October after the series against Sri Lanka.

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Zak Crawley is now in a race against time as the typical recovery period for a broken finger is approximately six to eight weeks, and the upcoming series against Pakistan is just nine weeks away.

Essex’s Jordan Cox has received his first call-up to the England squad for the Sri Lanka Tests, following his outstanding performance in the County Championship.

Cox scored an impressive 763 runs at an average of 69.36 in 12 matches this season.

Meanwhile, pace bowler Olly Stone has returned to the squad in place of uncapped seam bowler Dillon Pennington, who suffered a hamstring injury during The Hundred.

England squad for Sri Lanka series

Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

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England batter in doubt for Test series against Pakistan

England batter Zak Crawley is likely to miss the tour of Pakistan in October as he is required to undergo surgery for a broken finger.

England is scheduled to tour Pakistan for a three-match Test series, commencing on October 7 in Multan. The second Test will be played from October 15 to 19 in Karachi, while Rawalpindi will host the third Test match from October 24-28.

It is pertinent to mention here that the series between Pakistan and England will be part of the ICC Test Championship 2023-2025.

For the unversed, this will be England’s second tour of Pakistan in two years. They won the last Test series 3-0 in December 2022.

Prior to the tour of Pakistan, England will play three Tests against Sri Lanka later this month and Zak Crawley is expected to miss the series owing to his broken finger.

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The top-order batter suffered the injury while attempting a catch, during the recent Test match against West Indies, which ruled him out from ongoing The Hundred.

Crawley is now in a race against time as the typical recovery period for a broken finger is approximately six to eight weeks, and the upcoming series against Pakistan is just nine weeks away.

The 26-year-old cricketer boasts an impressive record against Pakistan in Test cricket, amassing 555 runs in eight innings at an outstanding average of 69.37. Notably, his career-best score of 267 was also achieved against Pakistan in 2020.

It is worth mentioning here that the three-match home Test series against England is part of the Pakistan men’s cricket team’s busy home international season 2024-25.

Besides England, Pakistan will host Bangladesh for a two-match Test series in August, followed by a three-match series against West Indies in January next year while they will play two away Tests against South Africa in December-January.

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Zak Crawley to lead England in ODI series against Ireland

LONDON: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Wednesday, unveiled a 13-member squad, led by Zak Crawley, for the three-match home ODI series against Ireland, scheduled to commence on September 20.

Zak Crawley will lead England for the first time while his Test opening partner Ben Duckett named as his deputy for the three-match series.

Notably, Crawley has thus far represented England in only three ODIs, all of which came in England’s Covid-hit home ODI series against Pakistan in 2021.

Duckett, on the other hand, made his ODI debut in 2016 against Bangladesh, when he scored two fifties in the three-match series.

The left-handed opener then made his return in the three-match away series against South Africa earlier this year, after a seven-year absence from the format.

Duckett, however, failed to make his ODI return memorable as he could manage a top score of 20 in the series.

England squad includes three uncapped players, Warwickshire batter Sam Hain, Surrey wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith and Derbyshire paceman George Scrimshaw.

England’s 13-member squad for the Ireland ODIs also marked the return of Harry Brook, who was omitted when England announced their preliminary 15-man squad for the 50-over tournament in India which starts next month.

But teams do not have to confirm their squads until September 28.

The 24-year-old Harry Brook was initially edged out by 2019 World Cup final hero Ben Stokes’s decision to reverse his retirement from one-day internationals.

But a hundred for Northern Superchargers in his next innings in The Hundred, followed by contributions of 43 not out and 67 in T20 international wins against New Zealand reignited the debate about Harry Brook’s World Cup place.

England squad for Ireland ODIs: Zak Crawley (c), Ben Duckett (vc), Rehan Ahmed, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Hain, Will Jacks, Craig Overton, Matthew Potts, Phil Salt, George Scrimshaw, Jamie Smith, Luke Wood.

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