England’s faith in Zak Crawley is about to be seriously tested ...Middle East

The proliferation of cricket around the world means it is often easy to miss something significant.

That something right now is Zak Crawley’s horror run of form in the SA20.

Crawley is a fine player and one who England will back to the hilt this year ahead of huge Test series at home to India and away in Australia.

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But unlike Joe Root, whose fine form in South Africa’s Twenty20 competition is seeing him tipped for an England recall in the format, Crawley is enduring such a nightmare spell with Sunrisers Eastern Cape he looks likely to be dropped when the franchise plays their next game against MI Cape Town on Wednesday.

The England opener has scored 88 runs in eight games at an average of 11 and a strike-rate of 110.

In his last appearance, Crawley’s dismissal to the first ball of the match, a wild swing outside off that saw him caught at slip, had an eerily familiar feel.

It was the fourth time in six innings he has been out in the first over of the match and his last four scores read: nought, six, nought, four.

This alone would not be a concern, but coming off the back of a tour of New Zealand before Christmas that saw Crawley average just 8.66 across three Tests, it is a worry.

England coach Brendon McCullum has constantly backed the Kent batter through the many peaks and troughs of his career so far.

It was no different after New Zealand, when he said: “Zak is disappointed with how many runs he scored on this trip.

“But India and Australia, he has an outstanding record. He’s got our full confidence and knows at his best he wins us games. He’s still a huge member of this side.”

Zak Crawley’s Test career in numbers

Stats correct as of 28 January via Cricinfo

Crawley’s Ashes record, an average of 43.06 compared to his career Test average of 30.51, is significant here.

England see him as a player who will thrive on the faster, bouncier pitches in Australia.

But his current run of form – 11 single-figure scores in his last 17 innings across all formats – is worrying.

England can ill-afford passengers when they face India in five Tests this summer.

And with Jacob Bethell starting his England career so well, there are other top-order options available if the worst comes to the worst.

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Despite England’s faith in Crawley, it looks like his South African franchise are preparing to take him out of the firing line.

Sunrisers coach Adrian Birrell said this week: “T20 is a brutal game if you’re out of form. It doesn’t give you time. It’s been hard for him.

“He’s been getting out to straight balls but also caught behind off wide balls. He’s been getting out in two modes.”

Hinting Crawley might be dropped, Birrell added: “I don’t know. We’re going to have to look at it and come up with a plan for the next game.”

Whatever happens next, Crawley will not be short of backing from England.

He was not selected for the white-ball tour of India or the Champions Trophy that follows, so he will have some much-needed time away from the game to reset ahead of a huge year of Test cricket.

Crawley needs to clear his head, take some time out and start the domestic summer with Kent well.

So much of sport is mental but there are also technical flaws that are hampering his progress, namely his defence and shot selection that make him vulnerable to quality attacks that move the ball.

This is nothing new. Crawley’s attacking elan often outweighs those weaknesses but he does need to get his head straight. Otherwise even McCullum’s loyalty could be tested this summer.

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