ENG vs PAK | Couldn’t stop thinking about century when I was on 25, reveals Zak Crawley
England’s centurion Zak Crawley has recalled that he couldn’t stop thinking about the elusive century when he was still batting on 25 alongside Joe Root. He also credited Jos Buttler for easing his nerves throughout the innings before stating that it was his best feeling on a cricket field.
After Joe Denly was axed and frozen out of the squad, the English selectors trusted Zak Crawley to do the business. While Crawley’s first few innings did not result in a triple-figure score, he finally broke the shackles on Friday when he brought up his first century in English whites. By doing so, the right-hander quietly put a finger on the lips of all his critics, who were not so satisfied with his batting display.
Following his knock, Zak Crawley, at the end of Day 1, revealed that he couldn’t stop resisting himself from thinking about the century when he was still batting on 25. While the Bromley batsman did not only thwart Pakistan’s new-ball attack but also showed immense patience and confidence while playing out the leg-spinner Yasir Shah.
"I had to keep the hundred out of my head. When I was on about 25, I was in decent touch and couldn't stop thinking about it. Luckily when I got to about 70 I calmed down a bit, but that period in the middle I played a couple of rash shots and managed to get through that,” Crawley told Sky Sports.
However, the right-hander was not as calm and composed as it looked on screen, as he admitted that it was Jos Buttler’s constant advice at the non-striker’s end which eased the pressure off him.
"When I was about 91, I was really nervous. Jos didn't think I was, so I must have been hiding it pretty well! It was handy batting with Jos - he's a very calm head and he's always telling you to keep switched on. I think that's why we managed to get a good partnership today,” he added.
“Jos batted great as well and made it easy for me. It was an unbelievable feeling, to see everyone else up there on the balcony, clapping - it almost flashed before my eyes, my whole career so far. It was the best feeling I've had on a cricket field - hopefully there's a few more to come."
Incidentally, Crawley’s unbeaten 171 against Pakistan is his highest score in First-Class cricket, bettering his 168 he scored against Glamorgan in the 2018 County season.
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