Zak Crawley

Zak Crawley is an English professional cricketer who is an opening batter for the England Test team. He made his debut for England in 2019 and since then has been a regular feature for the Three Lions. 

A dashing right-handed batter, Crawley rose to prominence after an impressive 2018-19 season with Kent, where he amassed 755 runs and was the leading run scorer for his team. 

He first caught the eyes of the English selectors when he scored 168 against Glamorgan on a green top at Canterbury in 2018, which was followed by two back-to-back 90s against Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire. England needed a back-up Test opener, and Crawley fitted in that mould perfectly. 

Crawley had a nightmarish debut as he scored just one run on his debut against New Zealand in 2019. However, impressed by his character, the opener retained his place for the South African tour in 2020. After failing to score big in the first two Test matches, he scored his maiden half-century against the Proteas in Johannesburg. In the same test, he, alongside Dom Sibley, put England’s first century opening stand since December 2016. 

Crawley signed a three-year contract extension with Kent in 2020 and continued representing them in the domestic competitions.

In the summer of 2020, Crawley scored 76 against West Indies in the first Test at Rose Bowl. However, the knock went in vain as the Windies won that Test match. 

He went on to make his maiden century against Pakistan in that very summer when he scored 267 and had a record-breaking stand of 359 runs with Jos Buttler for the fifth wicket. Crawley’s ton became the second-highest maiden century-score by an English batter in Test cricket, behind R.E. Foster, who scored 287. 

Following the Pakistan series, Crawley was selected for the Sri Lankan tour, where he amassed a mere total of 35 runs at a disappointing average of 8.75. Despite having a mixed start to his international career, Zak Crawley is a promising young cricketer who should be nurtured by the ECB. With age on his side, Crawley has all the traits needed to become a successful Test batsman.

During England's tour of India in February–March, the dashing opener was sidelined for the first two Tests due to a freak wrist injury sustained just before the opening game. He made his return under the lights in Ahmedabad for the Day-Night third Test—and offered a glimmer of hope with a crisp 53 in the first innings. That knock, however, was a lone spark. England’s batting unravelled in the spin cauldron of Indian pitches, and Crawley too found himself entangled in the turning web. Across three matches, he managed just 67 runs at an average of 11.17—a stark reminder of the challenges of playing in Asian conditions.

Later in the year, Crawley’s struggles followed him back home. During India’s return tour to England in August–September, his form continued to wane. After two lean outings, he was dropped from the side—a decision that seemed inevitable as the numbers told their own story.

The 2022 year began with a much-needed spark in the West Indies, as England toured the Caribbean from January to March. In the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, Crawley struck a superb 121. 

Come June and July, English cricket entered a bold new era. Under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, the Test side adopted a swashbuckling style dubbed "Bazball." Crawley, seen as a natural fit for this aggressive approach, featured in all three Tests against New Zealand and the one-off, rescheduled Test against India. Despite the team’s thrilling successes, Crawley’s individual returns remained underwhelming.

However, 2023 was Zak Crawley’s turning point—the year he began to rewrite his narrative in English cricket. It didn’t start with fireworks. During England’s Test tour of New Zealand in February,  Crawley’s returns were modest at best. Fast forward to the Ashes Summer of 2023. Retained as opener amid scepticism, he responded with a series of bold, attacking innings that helped define England’s thrilling campaign. The opener ended the series as England’s highest run-getter by clubbing 480 runs off 9 innings, including a stunning 189– the fastest 150 in Ashes history.

Since then, there has been no looking back for Zak Crawley, however, the dasher is yet to find his feet in the shorter formats of the game. Having said that, the opener will look to cement his place further in the Tests as England are about to begin their home summer.

(As of May 2025)