Zak Crawley insists England will not adopt a “negative” approach after their recent 4-1 series defeat in India but acknowledged they must learn when to absorb pressure.
India inflicted the first series loss of the Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum era after they stormed back from going one down in Hyderabad to win the last four Tests in comprehensive fashion.
It sparked debate over England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style following a string of batting collapses and head coach McCullum accepted they had to refine their style moving forward.
Crawley said: “We always talk about absorbing pressure and putting pressure back on.
“The last couple of years we’ve done the putting pressure back on pretty well and we’ve spoken about maybe picking those moments to absorb at the right times as well. We can certainly refine that.
“That’s not to say we’re going to get more negative. We will still try to play the way we have and try to score quickly but yeah, picking those moments where they’re on top and we need to absorb.
“Or even the other way where they’re on top and you feel like you need to put it back on. It is just getting it right.
“(Stokes) spoke about it after the series where we need a little bit of refinement. It is not big changes.
“We just need to make sure we stay positive and don’t let a tough result get in the way of what we’re done really well over the last couple of years.”
England’s strategy of moving the game forward quickly with higher run-rates and early declarations took the cricket world by storm as they won 10 of their first 11 Tests under Stokes and McCullum.
However, seven defeats have followed from the next 12 matches and a lack of a ruthless streak has cost England at times.
After England posted a first innings total of 353 in the fourth Test in Ranchi, they reduced India to 177 for seven but let the hosts off the hook and, instead of setting up a series decider, they crumbled to a crushing five-wicket defeat.
“We genuinely believed in ourselves and thought we could win the series,” Crawley, speaking at a sponsors event for Swiss watch brand Rado, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s official timing partner, admitted.
“We should have won in Ranchi, I think, to make it 2-2 and then you never know how the last one goes.
“When the series goes like that, it is always hard to wrestle the momentum back but we were in the series massively and we always believed.
“We certainly weren’t in the games when I was in India last time (in 2021), so we gave ourselves a good chance and we weren’t quite clinical enough like they were.
“Over five days, their skills are always going to come out and they are a phenomenal team. It was a really enjoyable tour though, we gave it a good crack and there is a lot to learn from.”
A beacon of light again for England was Crawley, who for the second series in a row led the scoring charts for his team.
The Kent batter was notably labelled as a player whose “skillset is not to be a consistent cricketer” by McCullum in 2022.
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A string of low scores increased the external noise around his position prior to last summer’s Ashes but the 26-year-old always retained the faith of England’s key decision-makers.
Now, 12 months on, Crawley has hit seven 50+ scores and averaged 46.7 against the two best attacks in the world, which included a sensational 189 at Old Trafford last July.
“I feel in a lot better place than I was,” Crawley added.
“I’m not trying to put too much pressure on any games to be honest. When I am playing for England or for Kent, I just try and turn up with the same process.
“I am trying to embrace failure more and accepting it is part of the game and sticking with what I do well.”
North American derby set to kick off 2024 ICC T20 World Cup in Dallas
The 2024 ICC T20 World Cup will get underway on Saturday, June 1 with an exciting clash between North American neighbours the USA and Canada at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
This will be the second appearance at a T20 World Cup for the Canadians while this will be the joint-hosts first time appearing at a T20 World Cup.
The teams most recently played a five-match T20I series from April 7-13 in the USA with the hosts coming out 4-0 winners.
The top run-scorer in that series was Jamaican-born Canada batsman Aaron Johnson with 124 runs in four innings at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 144.18.
The next two best batsmen were India-born USA skipper Monank Patel and Steven Taylor, both of the USA, who finished with 120 runs and 115 runs in three innings each.
Overall, Patel has 441 runs in 25 T20Is at an average of 22.05 including a pair of fifties.
Taylor, in 24 T20Is, has 742 runs at an average of 41.22 with a hundred and four fifties. He can also contribute with ball in hand having taken 11 wickets at an economy of 5.32 during his 24 games.
South Africa-born ISA batsman Andries Gous was the only other batsman to score more than 100 runs in the series with 11 runs in three innings.
Gous has appeared in just six T20Is, scoring 161 runs at an average of 26.83 with two fifties.
Another key player for the Americans will be former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson. Although he didn't light the world on fire when the two teams last met, his ability to hit the ball a long way and send down sone overs of left arm pace could be vital to the American charge.
As far as wickets go, former India Under-19 representative Harmeet Singh finished with six wickets in four games for the hosts while South Africa-born Shadley van Schalkwyk finished with similar returns for the USA.
Canada’s best bowler in the series was Pakistan-born Saad Bin Zafar with five wickets from four games.
All these players will be crucial to the chances of either team kicking off the World Cup with a win.
The hosts should also come into the game with a world of confidence after producing a 2-1 series victory over Bangladesh from May 21-25 in the USA.
The Canadians won their only warm-up fixture ahead of the showpiece event with a 63-run win over Nepal in Dallas on May 27 while the Americans have had both their scheduled warm-up games abandoned without a ball being bowled.
The World Cup is scheduled to run from June 1-29 in the West Indies and the USA.
Gajnabi back in Windies Women's squad for Sri Lanka tour
After being snubbed for the previous tour of Pakistan, Guyana's Shabika Gajnabi makes a return to the West Indies Women’s team, as the Selection Panel named a 15-player squad for the eagerly anticipated series against Sri Lanka.
This exciting series, which starts next month, will feature three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is), with the first match taking place on Saturday, June 15, in Galle.
Gajnabi, who along with her compatriots Ashmini Munisar and Plaffiana Millington were left out of the squad that enjoyed a successful outing in Pakistan, has been refitted in the Shane Deitz-coached team in place of Jannillea Glasgow.
The team is once again led by Captain Hayley Matthews who has been in exceptional form, supported by Vice-Captain Shemaine Campbelle.
Lead Selector Ann Browne-John explained the significance of the tour.
“The ODI series serves as a crucial stepping stone towards automatic qualification for the Women’s Cricket World Cup, providing an essential opportunity for the team to gain more valuable points in the Women’s Championship. The tour also allows the squad, during the T20I series, to continue to prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which takes place in September in Bangladesh," Browne-John said.
"The similar Indian subcontinental conditions will help the team to refine their skills strategies, build synergy, and assess their strengths and areas for improvement against quality opposition. The experience gained here will be invaluable as they progress towards the T20 World Cup, ensuring they are well-prepared and in peak form for the challenges ahead," she added.
The ODI series in Galle from June 15-21 is part of the ICC Women's Championship, with the top five teams and hosts India automatically qualifying for the Cricket World Cup in 2025. The West Indies Women are currently sitting seventh in the table with, Sri Lanka eighth but level on points.
The team departs the Caribbean on Sunday for a seven day training camp in Colombo to prepare and acclimatise ahead of this important tour.
Full squad: Hayley Matthews (Captain), Shemaine Campbelle (Vice-Captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams, Kate Wilmot
Match schedule
Saturday, June 15- 1st ODI at the Galle International Stadium, Galle
Tuesday, June 18- 2nd ODI at the Galle International Stadium, Galle
Friday, June 21 - 3rd ODI at the Galle International Stadium, Galle
Monday, June 24- 1st T20I at the Mahinda Rajapaksha International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
Wednesday, June 26 - 2nd T20I at the Mahinda Rajapaksha International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
Friday, June 28- 3rd T20I at the Mahinda Rajapaksha International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota
Maguire: 'magical moments' win tournaments
Harry Maguire says that tournaments are built on "magic moments" as England begin their preparations for Euro 2024.
Under Gareth Southgate, England's tournament record has vastly improved, with the Three Lions playing their first major tournament final at Euro 2020 since they won the 1966 World Cup.
They also reached the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-final in the 2022 edition but lost out to eventual finalists Croatia and France on those occasions.
Maguire has been a pivotal figure for England in their last three tournaments and admits that it is fine margins that can ultimately decide the result.
"I think all three of the games we've lost in those tournaments could have gone either way," Maguire told Sky Sports.
"Playing a tournament is totally different to playing league football - it's built on moments, and you've got to make sure you're there within the game to let the moments take over.
"That's where your big players come to play and produce those magic moments.
"You just need to make sure you're there to make it and perform on the day to give yourself an opportunity to go and win."
England are now aiming to go one better than they did at Euro 2020 when they lost on penalties to Italy in the final at Wembley Stadium.
Asked what it would mean to get his hands on the trophy, Maguire added: "It would mean absolutely everything...
"We haven't lifted a trophy in a long, long time - but we've been close.
"It's a good time to be an England player. We feel we're in a good moment and it's a tournament I'm looking forward to - we're going there to win."
England begin their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on June 16, and will also come up against Denmark and Slovenia in Group C.
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