With Crawley’s confidence and England’s focus now firmly set on Perth, the countdown to the Ashes opener continues to gather pace.
England opener Zak Crawley has brushed aside concerns surrounding the team’s minimal preparation for next week’s Ashes opener in Perth, insisting the squad will be fully equipped for the challenge despite having just a single warm-up match under their belts.
The highly anticipated five-Test series begins on Friday at Perth Stadium, where England will look to make a strong statement against Australia. However, the build-up has been the subject of debate, with the decision to organise only one warm-up fixture — an internal match against the England Lions at Lilac Hill — raising questions from pundits and several former players, who argue that the condensed schedule offers insufficient acclimatisation.
Crawley, though, remained unfazed. Fresh from scoring a fluent 82 off 101 balls as England posted 426 in their first innings, the opener said he feels confident in both his own form and the squad’s readiness. Speaking after the match, he stressed that the players were focusing on what they could control rather than on external criticism.
“Luckily, I don’t have to worry about those sorts of things. I just turn up and play my role,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s good prep. We’re getting used to the weather and even the flies — it’s all part of it. I feel like we’ll be ready for next week.”
Crawley, 27, is no stranger to Western Australia, having spent a stint with the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League earlier in his career. His familiarity with the conditions, combined with his fondness for the city, appears to have given him an added sense of comfort ahead of the Ashes curtain-raiser.
“I love this town — it’s one of my favourite places in the world,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of friends here, my old batting coach is from here, and I feel like I’ve got a connection with the place. I didn’t get to play here last time because of COVID, so walking out at Perth Stadium will be very special.”
Looking ahead to the opening Test, Crawley said he expects a strong turnout from travelling England supporters at the 60,000-seat venue, adding that the atmosphere will only fuel his excitement.
“Optus Stadium is an unbelievable ground,” he said. “There’ll hopefully be a lot of English fans, and it’s going to be one of the most special moments of my career.”
With Crawley’s confidence and England’s focus now firmly set on Perth, the countdown to the Ashes opener continues to gather pace.
