Zak Crawley has stepped down from first-class cricket for a time after losing his England Test spot. The 28-year-old opener has consistently occupied one of the opening spots in England’s batting line up for a number of years now, but is taking some time away to recharge mentally and arrange this next phase of his career.
Crawley had been left out of the national side following a terrible run. Though he has played some unforgettable knocks for England, such as match-winning innings and attacking starts aligning with the ‘baseball’ approach of the team, an illusion among people regarding consistency had continued haunting him. Selectors (after all) went a more familiar route leaving out Crawley from the red-ball squad and raising questions about his future in the format right now.
Instead of going back out on the county scene, Crawley has opted to turn down first-class cricket. The decision is believed to have come with the backing of those close to him, so he can recover from the disappointment at being left out and reflect on his priorities. Such breaks have been increasingly commonplace with modern cricket placing an increasing array of physical and mental pressures on players, particularly those plying their trade at the highest levels.
Crawley has long been a batting enigma and perhaps his career is one characterised by peaks and troughs. His talent has been indisputable but on the surface he hasn’t at all delivered since making his Test debut for England. Sometimes when he is on that kind of form, could smash the ball around quicker than any other player ever seen and equally playable866 to terrorise burglars too. In terms of the highest points of his career, a remarkable double century against Pakistan in 2020 surely stands out – an innings which shows the heights others believe he may still reach.
Yet, keeping it up has been hard. Long stretches of success have often been paired with leaner years, causing fans, media and ex-players to scrutinize the program closely. Crawley is an opening batter after all, one trying to blunt the best new-ball bowlers in the world, so any loss of form you have will be magnified.
That said there is still a lot of faith in Crawley. He has long been praised by England management and selectors, his absence from the Test squad not regarded as the end of any international career. Instead, it is viewed by many as a chance for him to reset and improve his game before coming back stronger.
Although he has effectively turned his back on first-class cricket, Crawley is still due to play limited-overs formats. He is also tipped to captain the Sunrisers when he plays a major role in The Hundred. It will give him competitive cricket and a fresh lease of confidence in different circumstances.
Over the coming months it may well be a pivotal period for Crawley’s career. His domestic cricket return in England is promising and some good performances in one-day tournaments could see him back with the national team. But for now, the priority is a break from red-ball cricket and preparing himself mentally and physically to take on the challenges ahead.
Crawley’s story is not finished – clearly, being dropped from the England side at 25 after less than two full seasons in Test cricket cannot be anything but something of a blow. At just 28 years of age, there is still much more cricket ahead for him and many will follow closely to see how this latest challenge sits with Pav.
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