Former England captain Nasser Hussain applauded Zak Crawley for his change in technique after Day 2 of the second Ashes Test. Hussain recalled how he used to have a wide batting stance but that he changed on Thursday, June 29. Crawley hit a run-a-ball 48 in the 91-run opening stand on Day 2. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon then removed him as he came down the track and the ball went past him.
In his column for the Daily Mail, the veteran added: “What has looked extremely promising for him so far this summer is that he has tightened up his technique and on Thursday he was lining the ball up nicely once more. Previously, he had a very wide batting stance, and in New Zealand earlier this year, he was playing quite a bit out in front of himself. When his weight was back, he pushed his hands out in front of his body with a braced front leg whereas now he can play the ball later right underneath him, and bend that front knee into the drives,”
Nasser Hussain further added that Crawley has shown immense potential to make big hundreds and should concentrate on carrying forward his starts as well.
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“England coach Brendon McCullum has said that Crawley’s game is suited to being inconsistent – as we saw in the last game in Birmingham. He looked a million dollars. Then, when the floodlights came on, he nicked off. Crawley has shown himself to be a player who can make big hundreds, and double hundreds, but his challenge now is to achieve greater consistency, building on that tightening up of his technique by working on the mental side of shot selection,” he shared.
However, despite consistently low scores last summer, head coach Brendon McCullum kept backing Crawley, saying that he was an impact player. The youngster started the ongoing Ashes series with a pristine 61 at Edgbaston as well.
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“The reason Lyon has been able to get so many of those particular dismissals is because he gets drop and dip on the ball due to the over spin he gets on it. His skill is to make a batsman think the ball is there to hit when it’s half a yard shorter than visualised. So the shot selection when you leave your crease has to be spot on,” he concluded.
