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The out-of-favour England opener Zak Crawley has made his return to the Perth Scorchers as the replacement for the explorer New Zealand opener Finn Allen, ahead of the 2026-27 season of the Big Bash League (BBL 2026-27).
Scorchers will be the defending champion in the upcoming season, but they will have to play without Allen, as he joined the rival team Melbourne Stars earlier this month. Scorchers were eager to keep their talent who helped them lift the trophy in the previous season. But the offer made by the Stars was beyond their reach, and Allen also agreed to the lucrative deal instead of preferring to stay with the Perth Scorchers.
Zak Crawley joins Perth Scorchers ahead of BBL 2026-27
As Finn Allen changed his ship in the Big Bash League, the Scorchers had no choice but to sign a like-for-like substitution. They found a suitable replacement in the form of Zak Crawley, who had previously played for Perth during the 2023-24 season. This time, the England opener has penned a one-year contract with the franchise with full availability, including finals.
After the departure of the New Zealand gun Finn Allen, Scorchers general manager Kade Harvey mentioned that behind their success in the previous season, the top order played a massive role. To maintain the same flair, they decided to add Zak Crawley as the replacement. He will combine with some other top-order batters like Mitchell Marsh, Cooper Connolly and Aaron Hardie.
"Our top order was critical to our success in BBL|15, and it's exciting to add Zak (Crawley) into the mix alongside the likes of Mitch Marsh, Cooper Connolly and Aaron Hardie. Zak made a terrific impression during his time with the club in BBL|13, and we have no doubt he will become a favourite among our members and fans," Harvey said today in a statement.
Zak Crawley's official statement after joining the Perth Scorchers
Zak Crawley himself was very excited for this second stint with the Perth Scorchers. In his official statement, the experienced opener stated that he enjoyed himself a lot in his previous season with the team in the 13th edition of the league. He is looking forward to performing at the Optus Stadium in front of the Perth Scorchers fans.
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Perth in BBL|13 and got an appreciation for how well respected the Scorchers are across the competition. Optus Stadium is a wonderful place to play cricket, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity of playing in front of our loyal members and fans," Crawley said.
Major career highlights of Zak Crawley
Crawley made his Big Bash debut in 2022 as a Hobart Hurricanes batter. He scored 155 runs across six innings in the thirteenth season of the franchise league, including an unbeaten 65 at the Optus Stadium.
The 28-year-old had represented England in 64 Test matches, scoring 3586 runs with a second-highest maiden century (267) of all time by an England batter in Test cricket against Pakistan in 2020.
