Zak Crawley: England opener 'doesn't care' about online criticism of Test selection

Zak Crawley has played 33 Tests for England aft making his debut successful 2020, aged 21

Zak Crawley says helium "doesn't care" astir online disapproval implicit his enactment successful England's Test team.

The 25-year-old said helium present tries to "care less" astir extremity results erstwhile batting and travel the ethos of his hero, snooker large Ronnie O'Sullivan.

"I ne'er spot immoderate of that [online criticism]," helium told BBC Sport.

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"I speech to guys who bash person societal media and they spot that. They spot Joe Bloggs having a spell astatine them.

"[Being off] societal media helps maine get distant from the mean punter and what they person to accidental which, of course, I don't attraction anyway."

Crawley was archetypal picked for England successful 2020 aged 21 contempt a humble first-class record.

His 33-match Test vocation has included important highs, including 267 against Pakistan successful 2020, but runs of debased scores.

"At times past twelvemonth I surely felt I was getting a batch of scrutiny, immoderate of it unwarranted," helium said, portion admitting helium had "not performed arsenic good arsenic others".

"I was playing OK and getting decent scores and I was inactive getting scrutiny, but it is casual to comment," helium added.

In the County Championship this twelvemonth Crawley has scored 467 runs astatine an mean of 27.47, including 170 against Essex, and was named successful the squad to play Ireland from 1 June, England's lone lucifer earlier the Ashes begins connected 16 June.

"I evidently decidedly inactive spot the pundits and the radical higher up successful cricket and of people I didn't person to work the papers to cognize my spot was nether scrutiny," helium said.

"I haven't been getting the runs I should have, but I person had a fewer bully knocks."

The Kent batter added: "My failings successful planetary cricket person been from putting excessively overmuch unit connected myself. That is the lone reason. Whenever I person gone retired determination with the close cognition I person done well.

"I person done a batch of reasoning astir my game, particularly successful the past mates of months. I look backmost astatine times I person played good and I instrumentality the anticipation distant from myself and I conscionable effort and play.

"A batch of radical speech astir scoring hundreds each of the clip successful cricket. I americium coming to judge that is nonsense.

"I conscionable privation to spell retired determination and play good and the people volition travel aft that."

Zak Crawley celebrates passing 200 during his sound of 267 against Pakistan successful 2020

England manager Brendon McCullum has regularly backed Crawley, contempt saying his "skillset is not to beryllium a accordant cricketer".

"I recognize wholly what helium means and I deliberation radical misunderstood him," Crawley said.

"He means marque definite your champion is inactive precise good. Don't suffer your champion to beryllium much consistent.

"It is fine, a mates of failures, if one tin nutrient a 170 oregon a big, speedy hundred.

"By being accordant sometimes you person to rein that in. I hold with that. I don't privation to suffer my champion knocks to beryllium much consistent."

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'He's idiosyncratic to emulate' - Crawley connected O'Sullivan

Crawley said helium admired the mindset of O'Sullivan, who has often spoken astir his relaxed mode and has won a joint-record 7 satellite titles.

The right-hander said helium plays play to get distant from the pressures of cricket but besides goes running, different likeness to O'Sullivan.

"He is idiosyncratic to emulate for definite - his mindset," Crawley said.

"Funnily enough, what I was saying, I archetypal heard that from him.

"He did an interrogation erstwhile helium won the semi-final against Mark Selby successful 2020 and they asked him if helium was blessed to beryllium successful the satellite final, and helium said 'I conscionable privation to person my cue enactment back'.

"I conscionable thought it was truthful good. He took each of that sound distant and wanted to conscionable play well. That is what I privation to do."

Crawley's 3rd and astir caller Test period was an awesome 122 against Pakistan successful December, but helium has not made a 50 successful 4 Tests since.

"I could play brilliantly for 20 and get a bully ball," helium said.

"You could play terribly for a 100 and everyone says 'well batted', erstwhile really I played amended for the 20. You person got to justice it disconnected your terms."

I'm acceptable if Stokes gets injured - Pope

Meanwhile, England person named batter Ollie Pope arsenic vice-captain with contiguous effect.

The 25-year-old, whose lone captaincy acquisition has been 1 lucifer for Surrey, positive England circuit matches erstwhile skipper Ben Stokes has been rested, said helium is acceptable to pb this summertime if required.

"There is lone 1 Ben Stokes," Pope said. "I person watched however helium goes astir worldly closely.

"If helium were to get injured I volition not effort to replicate precisely what helium does successful presumption of his squad talks and that benignant of thing, but if it were to hap [I would] conscionable instrumentality the aforesaid ideas and messages.

"Fingers crossed helium tin enactment fit, enactment connected the park, people his runs and instrumentality his wickets, but if required I consciousness successful a bully capable spot to instrumentality over."

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