Former South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs criticized Zak Crawley despite a good run in Test cricket and the ongoing five-match Test series against India. He said that in the curves, the England opener is an average player.
England Opener Zak Crawley is one of the most improved Test batsmen in recent years. In 2022, the batsman was struggling to get going and even his place in the team was under scanner and he was making constant mistakes.
However, the trust that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have shown in him has changed his career. The opening batsman has been playing freely at the top and has accumulated a host of runs at the top, helping England get off to exciting starts.
Zak Crawley is currently part of the England squad for the ongoing Test series against India. The batsman did an excellent job as an opener and smashed two half-centuries in the second Test. He also looked very good in the first game and now hopes to play a vital role in the next match.
On Thursday (February 8), one X fan (formerly known as Twitter) lavished high praise on Zak Crawley, pointing out how the batsman proved him wrong with his Test performance.
However, responding to this, Herschelle Gibbs pointed out how the batsman has difficulty turning and even goes to defend the fifth ball. He wrote:
“On wickets that do a bit, he (Crawley) hits the average fellow… he actually defends balls that are missing the fifth stump.”
On wickets that do a bit, he is an average partner…he actually defends balls that are missing the fifth stump.
– Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) February 8, 2024
Another fan gave his opinion on the debate, saying that batsmen batted ages ago. However, Herschelle Gibbs responded that those tons arrived in conditions in which the tracks were flat. He explained:
“In three of those countries there is no seam movement, everything is straight, but your assessment will be better since you have seen more of it than I have.”
In 3 of those countries there is no seam movement, the entire barrel of the gun is straight, but your assessment will be better since you have seen more of it than I have.
– Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) February 8, 2024
I’m happy to be much more aggressive – Zak Crawley
Zak Crawley recently spoke about his Test performances and said that he is happy to play aggressive cricket. He talked about his plans against spin bowling and said it brings risks as well as rewards. He said:
“I’m happy to be a lot more aggressive now and that has helped me have consistency. I wasn’t happy to leave when I did, but I would definitely do the same. If that one doesn’t turn and I hit it on the head for six hours, suddenly it’s under a lot of pressure and I can milk it for two hours or whatever. There is risk and reward there.”
The test series between India and England is currently tied 1-1. The third match between the teams will be played on February 15 in Rajkot. England would hope to take a 2-1 lead in the series. For that, Zak Crawley will have to play a very important role for the team at the top of the order.