England opener Zak Crawley has revealed that head coach Brendon McCullum has encouraged the team to play even more aggressively in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s. Crawley shared McCullum’s message, recalling how the former New Zealand captain urged him to go for boundaries if the Australians placed a fielder in that region.
Despite England’s two-wicket defeat at Edgbaston, McCullum expressed his pride in the team’s efforts and promised a more aggressive approach against the Australians in the upcoming Test. Crawley, who scored 61 in the first innings of the opening Test, revealed McCullum’s advice during an interview with Virgin Radio in the UK.
“He even said we should go a bit harder next game. Any doubt you had in this game, you take it away. You might think, ‘Should I do this or take it a bit easy for 10 minutes and not get out?’ Baz would say you should do that. He said, ‘They put a man on the fence; why didn’t you hit it over him? I didn’t even think about that,'” Crawley shared.
In the first Test, England showcased an aggressive batting approach against a formidable Australian bowling attack, scoring over 400 runs in both innings. However, some experts criticized Ben Stokes’ declaration in the first innings at 393-8 in 78 overs, suggesting it backfired on England.
Crawley emphasized that the team’s mentality is focused on playing entertaining cricket without worrying too much about winning or losing. He believes that despite the loss at Edgbaston, England has earned respect and support from fans.
“I wouldn’t say king…” Centurion Batter Challenges Virat Kohli
“That’s what we’re all about; we’re not about results, we always talk about that, we’re not about winning or losing, we’re about entertainment. Of course, we’re there to win, which helps our brand and what we’re trying to do if we win. We get more traction if we win. But I don’t think we’ve lost anything this week other than a game of cricket in a five-match series. Other than that, we’ve gained a lot of respect and support, and I think it’s great for the game,” Crawley stated.
The second Ashes Test is set to commence on June 28th, and England will look to execute their aggressive approach under the guidance of coach Brendon McCullum.
