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Zak Crawley's Ashes Warning: Why England's Perth Prep Is Perfect

England opener Zak Crawley is confident his team will be ready for the Ashes despite limited warm-up matches. He scored 82 runs in their only practice game against England Lions. Crawley has a special connection with Perth having played for the Scorchers previously. The opener believes the team is adapting well to Australian conditions ahead of the series.

Key Points: Zak Crawley Confident England Ready for Ashes Opener

  • Crawley scored 82 runs in England's warm-up match against Lions
  • England faced criticism for scheduling only one practice game
  • Crawley expresses special connection with Perth from Scorchers days
  • Opener confident team adapting well to Australian conditions
2 min read

It's good prep and we'll be ready for next week, says Zak Crawley

England opener Zak Crawley dismisses concerns over limited warm-up games, insisting team will be fully prepared for Ashes series against Australia in Perth.

"It's good prep and I feel like we'll be ready for next week - Zak Crawley"

Perth, Nov 15

England opener Zak Crawley insists the squad will be fully prepared for next week’s Ashes opener in Perth, dismissing concerns over their limited build-up to the series.

The five-match series kicks off on Friday at Perth Stadium, but England’s choice to schedule only one warm-up game — against the England Lions at Lilac Hill — has faced criticism from pundits and former players.

Crawley, however, remained optimistic after scoring a swift 82 off 101 balls in England’s first-innings total of 426, expressing confidence that the team will be ready for the much-anticipated showdown with Australia.

"Luckily, I don't have to worry about those sorts of things. I just try and turn up and play my role in the team. But, as far as I'm concerned, it's good prep. We're getting used to the weather, getting used to the flies. It's good prep and I feel like we'll be ready for next week," he told reporters on Friday.

The 27-year-old is set to return to the Western Australian capital for the opening Test, having previously played for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. He said he is eagerly looking forward to walking out as an opener at the 60,000-seat stadium.

"I love this town - it's one of my favourite places in the world, so I love being back," he said. "Got a lot of friends here, my old batting coach is from here and I feel like I've got a connection here. I love Perth. I didn't get to (play here) last time with COVID, so it'll be very special.

"I played for the Scorchers here and Optus Stadium is an unbelievable ground, a lot of English people there hopefully and it's going to be one of the most special moments of my career for sure,” Crawley said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Crawley's confidence is good but I remember how our Indian team struggled in Australia initially. Hope England doesn't repeat our mistakes! The Ashes is always exciting to watch though! 😊
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Arjun K
Weather and flies? Seriously? That's what they're worried about? They should be focusing on facing Cummins and Starc's pace attack! This sounds like overconfidence to me.
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Sarah B
As someone who's lived in both India and Australia, the Perth conditions can be brutal. Hope the English batsmen are ready for the bounce! Looking forward to some exciting cricket.
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Michael C
Good to see Crawley scoring runs in the warm-up. Form matters more than number of practice matches sometimes. But Ashes in Australia is a different beast altogether!
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Ananya R
The Ashes rivalry is legendary! As an Indian cricket enthusiast, I love watching these high-intensity series. Hope it's a competitive one and not one-sided like last time. 🤞

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