‘It’s the Biggest Franchise Tournament in the World’: Zak Crawley Could Enter IPL Auction

After a fruitful Ashes 2023 where he finished as England’s highest run-getter, Zak Crawley is eyeing a return to limited-overs cricket hoping to revive his white-ball ambitions. Crawley is hopeful of catching the attention of England selectors by performing in T20 leagues around the world having made his intentions jumping straight into the ongoing Hundred competition days after the five-Test Ashes concluded.

Crawley last played an ODI for England in July 2019 and is yet to feature in an T20I. With the retirement of Alex Hales, a spot has opened up at the top in the shortest format and England’s Test opener would like to present his case.

Like Joe Root, who entered the IPL auction earlier this year, Crawley is now considering throwing his name in the mix should there be an opportunity.

“It’s (IPL) the biggest franchise tournament in the world,” Crawley was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. “It’s the only place to see all the best playing against each other. It’s great cricket and to be able to test yourself in that tournament would be awesome.”

“We’ll see how I go. If I score some runs and it looks like I’ve half a chance then, then potentially I will [put my name forward]. I’m a realistic guy though, so if I feel like there’s no chance then I won’t… If I was good enough one day to play in the IPL and someone wanted me, then I’d absolutely love to go,” he added.

Harry Brook is another England youngster who got a taste of IPL earlier this year when he played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, scoring a blistering hundred.

“Obviously I’d love to do that,” Crawley said. “He’s (Brook) going to do a lot of stuff that I wish I could do throughout his career. I won’t get too cut up on what Harry does otherwise I’d be pretty disappointed my whole career.”

England won’t play a Test before the tour of India next year now and are expected to rest their first-choice stars for the white-ball tour of Caribbean that starts right after the World Cup. Crawley is hoping he could make the cut for that tour.

“I’d love to go on that tour,” Crawley said. “We’ll have to see how selection goes but the Caribbean is an awesome place to play – and I haven’t had the chance to go on a white ball tour for England yet, so any opportunity I get would be awesome. If they want me for that tour, I’d absolutely love to go.”

“There’s obviously a few guys ahead of me at the moment, But if I score some runs then hopefully my name starts getting thrown into the hat,” he added.