- Zak Crawley became an instant Ashes villain
- Adelaide crowd wasn’t tolerating his gamesmanship
England star Zak Crawley isn’t likely to look back at this Ashes series with much fondness – and the opener was booed off Adelaide Oval on day four after attempting to play mind games with Aussie skipper Pat Cummins.
Crawley, 27, was desperate to head to the lunch break with his wicket intact – so much so, he deliberately stalled play.
The under-pressure batter opted for some last-minute ‘gardening’ on the pitch, only to see Cummins respond by pretending to tie up his shoelaces.
Next it was Crawley’s turn to take centre stage, and he seized the opportunity, pulling away from a ball at the last minute.
Aussie skipper Cummins laughed and returned to his mark – and then produced a peach of a delivery that Crawley was fortunate to avoid nicking.
While Cummins was cheered off by the home fans, the same couldn’t be said for Crawley, who was targeted by Aussie supporters for his gamesmanship.
England opener Zak Crawley was booed off Adelaide Oval on day four at lunch after attempting to play mind games with Aussie skipper Pat Cummins
Cummins laughed off the brazen behaviour from Crawley – and very nearly had his wicket moments later
Australia only need a draw in Adelaide to retain the Ashes urn (pictured, Cummins celebrates the wicket of Ollie Pope)
Predictably, the incident lit up on X.
‘Umpires should be telling Crawley, cut the BS, play or get suspended,’ one posted.
‘Pat Cummins is winning this (mind games),’ said another.
‘Cummins never expresses his anger through his words or body language, he let’s it fuel his performance! Absolute legend,’ added a third.
Crawley’s tour of Australia has been a nightmare.
The supremely confident star made a pair in Perth – two ducks – before mustering 76 and 44 in Brisbane at the Gabba.
Australia only need a draw in Adelaide to retain the urn – and it would take a brave English fan to believe they can actually win the Test.
Whether Crawley survives the axe ahead of Boxing Day in Melbourne remains to be seen – but given he has played 61 Tests and only averages a touch over 31 with the willow, his ego far exceeds his ability.
The same could be said for many of his teammates, notably Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Brydon Carse.
