Why England should move on from Zak Crawley

After a torrid 2024, why is Crawley’s place not being questioned?

It’s that time of year again. England have announced their squad for the first test of the summer – a one-off match against Zimbabwe.

Sam Cook has been rested by Essex ahead of a well-deserved call-up. With 318 first-class wickets at 19.8, Cook’s numbers are outstanding. He may not bowl 90mph, but he’s skilful, consistent and in form. It’s a positive sign – suggesting County Championship performances still count for something.

Likewise Jordan Cox, who looks likely to be included as the spare batter, with Jamie Smith retaking the gloves and Ollie Pope slotting back in at No. 3.

The elephant in the room

But one name continues to defy gravity – and logic.

Zak Crawley. Is he undroppable? For how long would be need to underperform for his place to be at risk?

Crawley has averaged just 15.1 across his last 14 Test innings, a slump he’s carried into the county season with three consecutive first-innings failures (1, 0, and 1). He’s followed those with second-innings fifties in his last two outings, but his season average still hovers around 30.

The arguments in favour of his continued selection are well-versed:

• He’s not picked for consistency – he’s picked for impact

• He can take the game away from the opposition in a session

• He fits the team’s aggressive style

• He’s forged a fruitful partnership with Ben Duckett

• He’s had success against both India and Australia

• His dad plays golf with Rob Key

Some of these are genuinely valid reasons to stick with him. Crawley had a good 2023, averaging 43 with a memorable Ashes hundred at Old Trafford. His record against Australia is decent – averaging 43.4 overall.

And consistency of selection is a tenet of the current regime. Removing the fear of failure has underpinned England’s fearless style under Stokes and McCullum.

But dig a little deeper. Crawley’s average against Australia drops to 28 in Australia. His career average away from home is just 26. In 2022, he averaged 28 across the year with no centuries. In New Zealand, he managed just 9 across six innings, falling to Matt Henry every single time.

His overall Test average, from 53 matches, sits just above 30.

Who could step in?

Haseeb Hameed and Dom Sibley are both near the top of the county runs charts. Hameed is averaging 110.

But given England’s tendency to look forwards and not backwards, I think the main contender is Durham’s Ben McKinney.

The 20-year-old opener is in the form of his life. He hit 153 against Warwickshire last month, and last winter lit up the Lions tour with a sparkling 110 off 110 balls in Sydney, against an Australia A team with six international players. He’s drawn comparisons with Marcus Trescothick and Stephen Fleming, and he looks like the real deal.

And yet, there’s no sign he’s in serious consideration.

Does county form still matter?

The selection of Sam Cook shows it does. And it’s always been part of the counties’ role to produce England players.

But the selectors seem increasingly willing to overlook county form in favour of potential. When England had a middle-order vacancy last winter, they called up Jacob Bethell – undeniably talented, but without a professional hundred to his name. It sent a clear message: a ‘high ceiling’ matters more than current performance.

And in some ways, that mindset has worked. Under Stokes and McCullum, England have reaped rewards by trusting instincts over averages. But it comes at a cost. If performance in the County Championship isn’t being rewarded, it risks becoming less relevant.

Fixing the pipeline

Rob Key has said that the skills needed in county cricket aren’t the same as those needed in Tests. That might be true. But if that’s the case, what can be done to make county cricket a decent proving ground for the test team?

That’s a complicated question. Playing test cricket in August again would help – that’s when English pitches are quicker, bouncier, and more conducive to spin. But the month of August has been auctioned off to the highest bidder.

The use of the Kookaburra ball in some rounds has been a smart move. Why not go further? Let counties field an extra overseas player, provided that player is a genuine fast bowler. Use some of The Hundred’s financial clout to lure the likes of Rabada, Nortje or Starc to the Championship. Host rounds overseas in April or September where conditions might be better and more varied.

Sunk-cost fallacy?

I don’t have the answer – and there’s no easy solution. But if England’s selectors are picking test players based on vibes, or sticking with a guy whose recent average is 15 because they don’t trust the alternative, something’s broken.

And what kind of message does it send to the likes of McKinney when County Championship runs seemingly count for nothing. Talented young players will start dreaming of IPL contracts instead of test call-ups, and that would be a shame in my book.

So the question remains: How long can one player be exempt from the usual standards? A few cheap runs against Zimbabwe might lift Crawley’s confidence. But they won’t fix his technique. What if he struggles against India? It may be too late to pivot by then.

The selectors don’t have an easy job. And they’ve been proven right more often than not in the Stokes-McCullum era. But sticking with Crawley looks like a classic example of sunk-cost fallacy to me.