Zak Crawley, a tall and elegant right-handed batsman, began his career at Kent in 2018 as a middle-order player before moving up the order to open the batting. His impressive 2018–19 County season, in which he scored over 800 runs against quality attacks on tricky surfaces, earned him a spot as a backup opener for England’s tour of New Zealand in late 2019. Known for his timing, ability to score quickly, and strong back-foot play, Crawley quickly made his mark. He announced himself on the international stage with a mammoth 267 against Pakistan at Southampton. Although his big scores were initially sporadic, changes in England’s leadership—with Ben Stokes as captain and Brendon McCullum as head coach—gave Crawley the backing to flourish under the aggressive “Bazball” approach. Crawley’s first major assignment as a Bazball opener came in Pakistan, where he scored a century in the first innings and a fifty in the second on a flat Rawalpindi pitch. Despite a mixed tour and struggles in New Zealand, he retained the selectors’ confidence for the 2023 home Ashes, where he finished as England’s leading run-scorer with two fifties and a century. He followed this with a strong series in India, scoring four fifties, and contributed in a home whitewash against the West Indies before being sidelined due to a finger injury. Returning for the late-year tour to Pakistan, Crawley scored a crucial 78 in the first Test, helping England force a result against a strong Pakistani side. While not always the most consistent, his attacking style and adaptability make him a key component of England’s Test setup under the Bazball philosophy.
