Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison has launched a passionate defence of opener Zak Crawley following his disastrous start to the Ashes series in Perth, while also hitting out at what he calls 'hypocritical' criticism of the team's preparation.
Sticking with Crawley
Crawley endured a nightmare opening Test at the Optus Stadium, registering ducks in both innings as England collapsed to a heavy defeat inside just two days. The Kent batsman fell to Mitchell Starc in the first over of both innings, managing just 11 balls across his two visits to the crease.
Despite the disappointing performance, Harmison - the hero of England's 2005 Ashes triumph - believes Crawley possesses the right temperament to handle the pressure when the second Test begins in Brisbane on December 4.
"Are there better players than Zak Crawley in this country? People will argue yes," Harmison told Grosvenor Sport. "The beauty about Zak, and why I like Zak, is I think he's got a very good temperament, I really do."
The Aggressive Approach
Harmison emphasised that Crawley should maintain his attacking approach, suggesting that even after two ducks, he'd want the opener to go after a half-volley first ball at The Gabba. "I'd encourage him to do that," Harmison stated firmly.
While acknowledging that Crawley's dismissals raised eyebrows, Harmison argued that the potential rewards outweigh the risks. "When he does get you off to a good start, boy, he puts the opposition under pressure. So that, for me, far outweighs him nicking off again for 0."
The former pace bowler warned against Crawley becoming defensive, adding: "If he goes into his shell, you might as well pick somebody else."
Learning from Australian Success
England's batting collapse wasn't solely down to Crawley's failures, with Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Harry Brook all culpable for chasing wide deliveries after England had established a commanding position at lunch on day two.
Harmison pointed to Travis Head's match-winning innings of 123 from 83 balls as the template England should follow. "I don't think they should be changing their game mentally," he explained. "Mentally they should still be trying to be aggressive. But there's two ways of being aggressive."
He highlighted how Head targeted scoring areas square of the wicket rather than driving expansively down the ground. "England don't need to change the mental approach of being aggressive, just their execution of shot and their selection of shot."
Team Selection and Preparation Defence
Harmison advocated for keeping faith with the same XI for the crucial second Test, stating: "I'd keep the same team, tell them: you got us into it, you go and get us out of it."
He particularly supported England's decision to field both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood alongside Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson in a five-pronged pace attack, despite concerns about their fitness records.
The former bowler also defended England's controversial decision not to send any of their Perth XI to play against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra, branding ex-players who criticised the move as "hypocrites".
"It's one of these decisions where you're damned if you do and damned if you don't," Harmison argued. "If you go and your player gets knocked over, it makes it worse." He pointed out that conditions at Manuka Oval wouldn't reflect what awaits at The Gabba.
The Gabba Challenge
With the second Test being a day/night match with a pink ball, Harmison identified the toss as crucial to England's chances. "It's crucial, massive," he emphasised. "If you can get in control of the contest and the decision-making early on day one, that makes your job a lot easier."
He explained that batting first would allow England to control declarations and force Australia to bat in difficult conditions, particularly when artificial lights take over from natural light.
While noting that The Gabba won't produce the extreme bounce of Perth's Optus Stadium, Harmison confirmed it would offer more movement than other Australian venues like Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, presenting another challenge for England's batsmen to overcome.
