Zak Crawley is bang average batter - Herschelle Gibbs' brutal assessment of England opener
Published - 08 Feb 2024, 09:58 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 10:24 AM
Former South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs criticized Zak Crawley despite a good run in Test cricket and in the ongoing five-match Test series against India. He said that on turning tracks the England opener is an average player.
England opener Zak Crawley is one of the most improved Test batters in the last few years. In 2022, the batter was struggling to get going and even his place in the team was under scanner with him bagging consistent failures.
However, the confidence that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have shown on him has changed his career. The opening batter has been playing freely at the top and has piled up a huge amount of runs at the top, helping England to get off the fiery starts.
Zak Crawley is currently part of the England squad for the ongoing Test series against India. The batter has done a terrific job as an opener and smashed two half-centuries in the second Test. He looked in great touch in the first game as well and now would be hoping to play a vital role in the next match.
On Thursday (8th February), a fan on X (formerly known as Twitter) lavished rich praise on Zak Crawley and pointed out how the batter proved him wrong with his performance in Tests.
However, replying to this, Herschelle Gibbs pointed out how the batter struggles on turning tracks and even goes to defend the 5th stump ball. He wrote:
???On wickets that do a bit he???s (Crawley) bang average mate.. actually defends balls that are missing 5th stump.???
On wickets that do a bit he???s bang average mate.. actually defends balls that are missing 5th stump.
Another fan gave his opinion on the debate, saying that batters hit centuries in the past. However, replying to that Herschelle Gibbs said that those tons came in conditions where the tracks were flat. He explained:
???3 of those countries you get no seam movement, everything gun barrel straight but your assessment will be better seeing you???ve seen more of him than I have.???
3 of those countries you get no seam movement,everything gun barrel straight but your assessment will be better seeing you???ve seen more of him than I have .
I???m happy that I???m much more aggressive ??? Zak Crawley
Zak Crawley recently spoke about his Test performances, saying that he???s happy that he plays aggressive cricket. He talked about his plans against spin bowling, saying that it gives him risk as well as reward. He had said:
???I???m happy that I???m much more aggressive now and that???s helped with consistency. I wasn???t happy to get out when I did but I???d definitely do the same thing. If that one doesn???t turn and I hit him over his head for six then suddenly he???s under a lot of pressure and I can milk him for two hours or whatever. There???s risk and reward there.???
The Test series between India and England is currently leveled at 1-1. The third game between the teams will be played on 15th February in Rajkot. England would be hoping to take a lead of 2-1 in the series. For that, Zak Crawley will have to play a huge role for the team at the top of the order.
Tagged:
England National Cricket Team Herschelle Gibbs IND vs ENG 2024 India National Cricket Team India vs England Zak Crawley
