England's aggressive opener Zak Crawley finds himself in a cricketing crisis after suffering the ultimate batsman's humiliation - a pair in the first Ashes Test against Australia at Perth.
From Bazball Hope to First Test Failure
The 27-year-old Kent batsman had been building towards this Ashes series for years, only to collapse dramatically when it mattered most. Crawley was dismissed for zero in both innings during England's disappointing start to the tour, falling to Australia's pace attack in just 11 deliveries across his two visits to the crease.
Despite showing strong form on home soil during the 2023 Ashes, Crawley's career average now sits at a modest 30.96 after 60 Tests. His selection for this tour was justified by team management who viewed his naturally aggressive style as perfectly suited to both Bazball tactics and Australian conditions.
The Mental Battle Ahead
Former Australian coach Justin Langer provided a chilling insight into the psychological toll of Crawley's performance, suggesting the English batsman faces sleepless nights before the second Test in Brisbane.
"Zak Crawley in public will be saying it's all good, I'm going to go about my preparation," Langer revealed on Channel 7's review show. "In reality he's not going to sleep for 11 nights, let me tell you that. If you get a pair - if you get a duck in Test cricket it's like this demon that stays in your mind, almost takes over."
Langer acknowledged that Crawley would take some comfort from the unwavering support of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, but emphasized the mental challenge ahead. "No one likes getting a pair. Trust me, it is the worst thing that you can do in the game of cricket," the former Test opener stated.
Australian Bowling Threat Looms Large
The situation doesn't get any easier for Crawley, with Mitchell Starc's devastating form with the pink ball creating nightmares for any batsman. Langer warned that Brisbane conditions would present similar challenges to those that undid the English opener in Perth.
"You get the pace and bounce, it's going to swing around. Mitchell Starc bowling as well as I've ever seen," Langer observed. "All I'll say to any player in Test cricket, yeah you can play your style and you've got to get bat on ball and be aggressive and play the big drives but you've got to respect the conditions. You've got to respect the opposition."
Australian legend Ricky Ponting added his voice to the critique, suggesting England needs to reconsider their aggressive approach if they want to compete in Australian conditions.
"England have a big break and they'll probably need that big break to get away and have a bit of a think about the way they need to play here in Australia," Ponting commented. "We've talked about it for two years - will that style of play stand up? Especially coming to Perth, totally different wicket than anywhere else you play in the world."
While Crawley's opening partner Ben Duckett and number three Ollie Pope managed respectable scores in Perth compared to their teammates, the pressure now mounts on the struggling opener to justify his place in the side and overcome what Langer describes as "the worst thing you can do in cricket".
