Zak Crawley sets sights on England white-ball opportunity

Crawley has shifted effortlessly from Test to T20 cricket – four days after his double ton, the second-highest maiden century score by an Englishman, he scored 31 from 19 as Kent tied with Middlesex

Zak Crawley’s Test double century has barely been grafted onto the honours board and he’s already plotting his way to a place in the best one-day team in the world.

Crawley only sports five first-class centuries but has soaring ambition and a mentality to match, looking a million dollars for 267 against Pakistan in his eighth Test.

It seems the 22-year-old has already moved on to making Eoin Morgan’s World Cup-winning side, a brisk T20 Blast century for Kent proof of his white-ball prowess.

With incumbent Jason Roy averaging just 12.75 in nine matches since that day at Lord’s last summer, Crawley is lurking with intent and wants everyone to know.

“I’d love to play white-ball cricket for England,” said the Lord’s Taverners ambassador.

“I’m a realist and it’s not going to be easy – there are some great players in that side and it’s one of the best teams in the world – so I need to score a lot of runs before that happens.

“But I’d love to play white ball for England in the future, so hopefully I can get my head down and push for a place in the next few years.

“If you asked me as a 15-year-old my ultimate ambition would have been to play Test cricket for England, but now I’ve managed to play in a couple of Test matches that goal has changed slightly.

“The lads looked like they had the time of their lives at the World Cup last year. Everyone watching must’ve thought it would be such a great place to be and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t have loved to have been on that pitch.

“If I can score lots of runs and make my way into that side and play in a World Cup and the Ashes, that would be the ultimate.”

^{Crawley has enjoyed a fine white-ball campaign for Kent in the T20 Blast}

Such talk could have come from the mouth of a 14-year-old Crawley who stunned Tonbridge School teachers with a steely intent to play for England at a tender age.

The numbers stack up for a claim to Roy’s place. He averaged over 50 in nine innings as an opener in the One-Day Cup last year, his last innings in the format 120 against Middlesex.

Crawley has shifted effortlessly from Test to T20 cricket – four days after his double ton, the second-highest maiden century score by an Englishman, he scored 31 from 19 as Kent tied with Middlesex.

There’s no suggestion Crawley couldn’t do the same in the international game having honed his work against the short ball in Perth and against spin in India in his younger years.

At least part of the relentless psyche of England’s newest star can sit back and reflect on a magnificent year.

“In terms of the cricket I put a lot of pressure on myself, but off the field I’ve settled in quite nicely,” said Crawley, who made his Test debut in New Zealand in late 2019.

“The guys have been really welcoming and helped me settle in very quickly.

“There’s a great environment and culture at the moment, and there were a few of us making our first tours in New Zealand and they were brilliant to us.

“It was a dream come true to tour New Zealand and make my debut, it happened so quickly and unexpectedly.

“I know I can score a good score in Test cricket now, so it might be easier the next time.

“It’s definitely given me more confidence, and for me it was just a building block that hopefully I can use to keep getting better and make some more high scores for England.”

Lord’s Taverners ambassador Zak Crawley is supporting the fundraising challenge of Lloyd Scott to complete the famous 3 Peaks Challenge dressed in a 130lb deep sea diving suit starting on October 4.  Visit www.lordstaverners.org to make a donation.