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Zak Crawley, England’s Test opener, has embraced a more aggressive style of cricket under the leadership of Ben Stokes. His dynamic approach has been instrumental in England consistently achieving rapid starts in Test matches, a strategy synonymous with the “Bazball” method adopted by the team.
In the first Test against West Indies, England secured a commanding victory by an innings and 14 runs. Crawley’s impressive innings of 76 runs off just 89 balls was pivotal in England amassing a total of 371 runs in their first innings, which ultimately proved insurmountable for a struggling West Indies side.
Looking ahead to the second Test at Trent Bridge, Crawley expressed his enthusiasm for playing in the Bazball style of Test cricket during a pre-match press conference. He highlighted the team’s enjoyment of this approach and emphasized its popularity among fans, underscoring the excitement it brings to the game.
“That’s awesome to hear,” Zak Crawley says about England fans praising Bazball.
“I certainly feel we get more comments from people outside the ground saying, ‘I watched you playing the other week, loved it.’ That’s awesome to hear, it’s what you want. You want people to enjoy watching you play and I certainly feel that was heightened after the Ashes last year” said Crawley.
Further discussing the legacy of James Anderson, who recently retired from international cricket following the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s, Zak Crawley highlighted Anderson’s remarkable achievements. Anderson’s final Test saw him claim four wickets, bringing his tally to an impressive 704 Test wickets, placing him third on the all-time list of leading wicket-takers in Test cricket.
Transitioning into a mentoring role within the England squad post-retirement, Anderson now serves as a bowling mentor. Crawley expressed his anticipation and eagerness to collaborate with Anderson in this new capacity, emphasizing the invaluable insights and experience Anderson brings to the team.
“He (Anderson) said he’s going to bowl in the nets. I just hope he’s going to bowl cross-seam. I’ve faced enough seam-up balls from him. He’ll put the ball wherever he wants I suppose. A few fluffers and half-volleys from now on I think, Jimmy” added Crawley.
England finds itself playing a home Test series for the first time since 2012 without the services of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Despite their absence, Zak Crawley remains confident that England’s other bowlers will step up to fill the void. In response to Anderson’s retirement, England has included Mark Wood in their squad, aiming to bolster their bowling options.
Meanwhile, West Indies have opted for an unchanged XI for the second Test at Trent Bridge, despite their defeat in the first match. Shamar Joseph retains his place in the lineup, with West Indies pinning hopes on his performance to help level the series.
Following their victory in the first Test against West Indies, England remains at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-35 points table, having accumulated 33 points from 11 matches. They have won four Tests and lost six. In contrast, West Indies occupy the sixth position with just one win from five Tests. India leads the table, having featured in the last two WTC finals.
Looking ahead, West Indies’ upcoming Test series include matches against South Africa, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, while England is scheduled to face Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and New Zealand in their future Test engagements.
