The English opener Zak Crawley has scored just 128 runs in the three Tests at an underwhelming average of 21.33. Zak Crawley‘s poor form has often put added pressure on Ben Duckett to take charge against the Indian bowlers. The right-handed batter Zak Crawley has often been criticised for getting out to similar dismissals – chasing wide deliveries and failing to build on promising starts.
Zak Crawley’s recent performances have sparked debate in the English media, with several commentators questioning his continued selection and labelling him the “luckiest player” to still be part of the squad.
Zak Crawley’s Topsy Turvy Test career
During a high-scoring Test series dominated by batters, England opener Zak Crawley has accumulated 128 runs at 21.33, with most recent scores of 19, 0, 18 and 22 following his 65 runs in the fourth innings in the First Test
Capable of extraordinary knocks in the Test arena – most notably his 267 against Pakistan in Southampton and 189 against Australia at Old Trafford – Zak Crawley has maintained a mediocre record in the Test arena, averaging 30.89 across 57 Tests. Among Test cricketers with at least 90 innings as opener, Zak Crawley’s average is comfortably the lowest. When the Kent product walks out to bat in Tests, 40 per cent of the time he’s dismissed for single figures. He features amongst the lowest batting amongst Test openers in recent times.
Lowest batting average among Test openers* Minimum 90 innings
30.10 – Zak Crawley (ENG)
32.57 – Kraigg Brathwaite (WI)
32.82 – Sherwin Campbell (WI)
33.55 – Geoff Marsh (AUS)
33.61 – Graeme Wood (AUS)
Despite glimpses of excellence, Crawley has averaged 24.54 over the last 12 months, while that figure slips to 19.81 when excluding his Trent Bridge century against Zimbabwe. According to CricViz, the right-hander has averaged just 21 against full deliveries from fast bowlers since the start of 2022, the lowest figure among Test cricketers during that period (minimum 100 balls). Seeing his lowest strings of performances for the English side as an opener, Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott has slammed him for his poor run of form.
Time to go for Zak Crawley- Sir Geoffrey Boycott
Legendary England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott lambasted Zak Crawley after repeated failures in the ongoing Test series against India. The English opener has scored just 128 runs in the three Tests at an underwhelming average of 21.33. His poor form has often put added pressure on Ben Duckett to take charge against the Indian bowlers. The right-handed batter has often been criticised for getting out to similar dismissals – chasing wide deliveries and failing to build on promising starts.
Geoffrey Boycott also criticised the English opener for his patchy form in recent matches and pointed out the recurring pattern in his dismissals throughout the Test series.
“How many more chances is Crawley going to get? He has learned nothing in his 57 Tests. A waft in the first innings caught behind and a front-foot drive in the second innings to a wide sucker ball caught at gully. It was just a replay of too many of his dismissals. Time to go. Five hundreds and an average of 31 is not good enough,” Sir Geoffrey Boycott wrote in his column for the Telegraph.
The English legend also said that, given Zak Crawley’s current performance, the Australian pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood will be raring to go at him in the Ashes later this year.
“Most opposition bowlers can’t wait to get their sweaters off to bowl at him. Can you imagine what the Australian seamers are thinking about this winter’s Ashes series? If Starc doesn’t get you, Hazlewood and Cummins will.” he added
Zak Crawley has played three tests in Australia featuring in 2021-22 Ashes series. The youngster’s only half century came in Sydney when he struck 77 runs to help England secured a draw. With England taking a 2–1 lead in the series, India will be hoping to bounce back when the two teams meet in the fourth Test, starting 23 July in Manchester.
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