The opener wasn’t alone in having a poor Test match in Birmingham.
But the evidence of a 56-Test career is stacking up against Crawley and despite all the backing he has received through thick and, mostly, thin from the Bazball regime, it is coming to the point now where something surely has to give.
Social media can be a cruel place and flicking through it on Monday morning, you could take your pick of memes ridiculing Crawley.
A NIGHTMARE start for England as Zak Crawley falls for a duck! pic.twitter.com/L8ziKPGt8i
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 5, 2025Yet they might listen to the former England captains who are now queuing up to criticise a player who has 42 single-figure scores across 102 Test innings and whose average of 30.33 at the top of the order is the lowest of any opener to have scored 2,500 Test runs.
Hussain was left perplexed by Crawley’s decision to change to an off-stump guard for the second Test having lined up India’s seamers well during his second-innings 65 at Headingley that proved crucial to England chasing down 371.
“He played so well in the second innings at Headingley; I don’t understand why he’d do that.”
The England opener is enduring an extended spell of poor form (Photo: Getty)Michael Vaughan lamented that Crawley is probably the most frustrating player he has seen play for England, adding: “And in my time watching, playing for and covering England, he is the player luckiest to have won so many caps.”
“I don’t think he can change or get better,” he said.
“One sparkling innings and numerous failures, with an average of 31, is not good enough.”
Ollie Pope looked the most at risk at the start of the summer in terms of players who might make way for Bethell. But despite a poor Test at Edgbaston, where he looked skittish once again, he averages 42.39 at No 3 during the Bazball era and is England’s vice-captain.
square CRICKET Ben Stokes cost England this Test
Read More
McCullum and Stokes have painted themselves into a corner by backing him so forcefully over the years.
Yet despite occasional flashes of brilliance such as his 189 against Australia at Old Trafford two years ago, he has just five hundreds in 56 Tests – a hit rate of one every 20 innings.
Dropping him now and breaking up a successful opening partnership with Ben Duckett would be a huge gamble.
Bethell would be the least disruptive choice to come in and partner Duckett, although it would see two left-handers at the top of the order.
And Bethell batted as a virtual opener alongside Duckett in New Zealand anyway given Crawley averaged 8.66 in that series. It worked then, so why not try it again?
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( England have backed themselves into a corner over Zak Crawley )
Also on site :