Brendon McCullum backs 'quality player' Zak Crawley to bounce back and 'do some damage' after two ducks in Ashes opener in Perth
Published 23/11/2025 at 15:48 GMT
England’s batting was in the spotlight following a collapse from a position of dominance in the opening Test of the NRMA Insurance men’s Ashes against Australia in Perth. Opening batter Zak Crawley grabbed a pair, but a man who averges a shade over 30 has been backed to bounce back by coach Brendon McCullum. Watch every ball of the Ashes live on TNT Sports and discovery+
Disaster for Crawley with second duck in as many days
Video credit: TNT Sports
Zak Crawley batted for 11 balls and scored zero runs in the opening Test of the NRMA Insurance men’s Ashes series, but the under-pressure opener has been backed in his role by England coach Brendon McCullum.
A loose drive to a good-length ball saw him depart for a duck in the first innings in Perth, and a checked drive saw him fall for nought in the second innings - both off the bowling of Mitchell Starc.
Crawley’s Test average is a shade over 30, and he has gone past 50 only four times in his last 22 knocks.
Despite his lean run and poor start to the Ashes, Crawley retains the support of his coach, and has been urged to continue with his attacking mindset.
"We believe he is a quality player," McCullum said, when asked if Crawley’s position in the team was under threat. "Particularly in these conditions against this sort of opposition.
"How many balls did he face? 10 or 11? He got out cheaply, but we believe in Zak.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/11/22/image-5a2562b3-c275-494b-b67d-f11fc363a83a-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'You must respect the game and conditions' - England's batting collapse dissected
Video credit: TNT Sports
"He's been around this group for a long time, he's done really well. The combination with Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley has allowed us to enter games as best as we think we can. And I'd expect to see a strong bounce back from Zak in the next little while.
"Sometimes you get out early, right? It would have been nice if he hadn't. But that's life. If he can get going, he can do some damage."
Crawley was not the only player to struggle in Perth, with Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and the world’s No. 1 Test batter Joe Root coming in for criticism for the manner of their dismissals in the second innings.
Pope, Brook and Root departed after playing expansive drives to balls of a good length, which former Australia coach Justin Langer said was the wrong choice of shot on a bouncy Perth deck.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Langer said: "I know Harry Brook plays an aggressive style, but you must respect the game and the conditions you play in. A classic Perth dismissal, that.
"Then, of course, this was the big one, Joe Root was wide, and his feet were nowhere near the ball.
"The margin for error is so small for batters on these bouncy wickets, he has got to get a lot closer to the ball than that."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/11/22/image-2c6404be-dc1c-43ae-abc4-15a95ffd08a5-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Highlights: Head inspires Australia to first Test win on Day 2
Video credit: TNT Sports
Asked for his assessment of the shot choices, McCullum referenced the approach of Travis Head who drove Australia to victory with a swashbuckling 123 off 83 balls in his second dig in Perth.
"Maybe just back away and slay it over point, or slog it to cow?" McCullum replied when asked about the approach of his middle order.
"I'm not saying they didn't go hard enough, but there was a player [Head] who had total conviction in his method and has done it across different formats and on different stages over the last few years.
"'Have conviction' - that's been what we've said. Choose a method and have conviction in it. If it works, then great. But if it doesn't, at least you've done it your way."
- How ‘incredible’ Head century left Stokes and England ‘shell-shocked' in Perth
- 'Pommelled' - How Australian media reacted to England’s first-Test collapse - Ashes Updates
Prior to the second Test in Brisbane, which gets underway on December 4 live on TNT Sports and discovery+, England have a match against a Prime Minister’s XI. McCullum has yet to make a call on whether any of his batters would play in that game.
He said: "We will let the dust settle, but we are bitterly disappointed for us, but also all the fans who have turned up here to support us so well here and we know will be throughout the series.
"We can't carry this one into the next [Test]. We've been trying to insulate against things going wrong for a while. For us, connectivity and camaraderie is something we pride ourselves on. We will need it over the next few days."
- - -
Watch every ball of the Ashes live on TNT Sports and discovery+
Advertisement
Advertisement