ENG vs NZ | Zak Crawley’s judgment around the off-stump should be better, says Alastair Cook
Zak Crawley is currently struggling for his form in Test cricket
|Alastair Cook has said that Zak Crawley’s judgment should be better around off-stump as he is getting dismissed while trying to play drives on the deliveries outside off-stump repeatedly. Cook also added that it becomes a tricky situation when a batter’s scoring shot also becomes his weakness.
England are up against New Zealand in a three-match Test series and they won the opening fixture by five wickets. However, the visitors have started strongly in the second match posting a total of 553 in the first innings. England are poised on 90/1 in response as they lost the early wicket of Zak Crawley.Â
Crawley’s form has been an issue of concern for England as he has scores of 43,9 and 4 in the series so far. Alastair Cook has shared his views on Crawley’s issues saying a better judgment around the off-stump will help him extend his stay on the crease.Â
“I think a lot of it must be down to Crawley's judgment on and around the off-stump. Better judgment when leaving the ball better would help,” Cook said in BBC's Test Match Special.
“But it's hard when one of your main scoring shots is also one of your main weaknesses. That's a hard conundrum to get over.”
More than his numbers, Crawley getting repeatedly dismissed to deliveries outside off stump is more worrisome. He has often edged the ball to slips in an attempt to play a drive which is also his scoring shot. The right-hand batter often likes to play drives but his scoring shot is becoming his problem in Test circket.Â
Cook said that a front-foot drive is a risky shot in Test cricket and it gets riskier especially while playing in England.Â
“A front-foot drive in Test cricket early on in your innings is a high-risk shot no matter who you're playing and certainly in England, it is. But when he scores so many runs with it, it becomes a really hard balance to get,” he explained.
