In preparation for BBL|16, the Perth Scorchers have secured the services of England opening batsman Zak Crawley, who comes in as a replacement for the explosive New Zealand batsman Finn Allen. The 28-year-old cricketer has committed to a single-season contract and is set to be accessible for the entirety of the tournament, including the playoff stages. During BBL|13, Crawley featured in six matches for the Perth franchise, accumulating a total of 155 runs. This homecoming follows the departure of Allen, whose contribution of 466 runs guided Perth to their sixth men’s Big Bash championship last year before he signed a three-year contract with the Melbourne Stars.
Zak Crawley makes his return following an earlier BBL campaign
Crawley first appeared in the Big Bash League representing the Hobart Hurricanes during the 2022-23 tournament, having been spotted by the ex-Australia skipper Ricky Ponting. After participating in eight games for the Hobart side, he transitioned to Perth for BBL|13. The right-handed batsman quickly made his mark for the Scorchers by delivering an undefeated knock of 65 runs against his ex-franchise at Optus Stadium.
That initial six-game run yielded 155 runs, prompting the Perth franchise to recruit him once more to reinforce their top-order batting lineup after Allen’s exit. Crawley is set to line up alongside a formidable batting department that includes Mitch Marsh, Cooper Connolly, and Aaron Hardie. Having him available for the entire tournament provides a significant boost for the Scorchers as they gear up for the new campaign.
Crawley adds valuable global and league expertise to the squad
With 64 Test appearances for England under his belt, Crawley has compiled 3,586 runs, highlighted by his top score of 267 against Pakistan back in 2020. Although he lost his spot in the national Test lineup after the Ashes series last year, he has remained active in the shorter formats of the game. The Kent-based batsman amassed 259 runs across 12 appearances in this year’s T20 Blast and also represented Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred, sharing a dressing room with Scorchers teammate Marsh.
To date, he has represented England in nine One-Day Internationals, playing his latest ODI fixture against Sri Lanka in January, though he has yet to make his debut in international T20 matches. Crawley represents the second English recruit for Perth ahead of BBL|16, following the signing of leg-spinner Calvin Harrison. Additionally, the Scorchers have brought in local Western Australian all-rounder Will Malajczuk to bolster their squad as they aim to assemble a highly competitive side for the upcoming winter.
