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England\u2019s assistant coach Paul Collingwood has backed Zak Crawley\u2019s attacking game and cricket brain to shine through in his unexpected captaincy stint against Ireland.<\/p>\n
Already a Test regular, Crawley has been eager to break into the white-ball setup for some time but even he would not have predicted his big chance would come as skipper.<\/p>\n
Yet with the World Cup squad resting up ahead of next month\u2019s World Cup in India, the 25-year-old has been picked to lead a development side in the three-match series.<\/p>\n
Crawley has just three ODI caps to his name after answering an SOS from the selectors when a Covid outbreak affected the original squad, but this represents a more intriguing examination \u2013 of both his white-ball skills and his future leadership potential.<\/p>\n
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And Collingwood, who worked closely with Crawley during his outstanding Ashes series this summer and captained England\u2019s limited-overs sides in his playing days, expects him to pass with flying colours.<\/p>\n
\u201cZak\u2019s already had a great summer and a memorable Ashes, so this is a perfect opportunity for him,\u201d Collingwood told the PA news agency.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just an extension of what he\u2019s been doing. People think coming from red-ball cricket means you need to do things differently but if you look at Zak he\u2019s basically been playing Test match cricket with a white-ball attitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe looks to score, he\u2019s aggressive and he has incredible talent. We all know he\u2019s got those long levers, he\u2019s got the power and he\u2019s got the timing. It should be great to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collingwood has no concerns about Crawley being weighed down by the responsibility of captaining in a format he has yet to establish himself in as a batter, citing his mental toughness after a long period of intense scrutiny during leaner times in his Test career.<\/p>\n
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\u201cHe takes it all in his stride. The great thing about Zak is all the noise genuinely doesn\u2019t bother him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll he\u2019s thinking about is how he\u2019s perceived in the dressing room bubble. To captain the side and billed as that leader is a great opportunity for him and he\u2019ll enjoy it.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got a great sense of humour, which a lot people don\u2019t get to see, and he\u2019s very relaxed. That\u2019s what you want from your leaders: not too up, not too down. It\u2019s a short spell for him in charge but he has a good cricket brain and I think he\u2019ll transfer that to the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crawley\u2019s fearless approach in the Ashes \u2013 from cracking the first ball of the series for four, through to his unforgettable 189 at Old Trafford \u2013 personified the dynamic style of cricket England have pursued under the guidance of coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.<\/p>\n
We could feel the Ashes reeled in a lot of news fans to the game and a lot of that is down to how these guys play the game. It’s vitally important we keep kids interested when they start to play.<\/p>\n
The thrills and spills of the series captured the imagination of the nation\u2019s sporting public and Collingwood has been out spreading the gospel, taking part in a school coaching session at the Kia Oval in partnership with Play Their Way and the Chance to Shine charity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could feel the Ashes reeled in a lot of news fans to the game and a lot of that is down to how these guys play the game,\u201d said Collingwood.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s vitally important we keep kids interested when they start to play and make it fun for them. When I was a kid there was a lot of emphasis straight away on defensive technique and caution. But these sessions are about educating coaches on what the kids want out of a session, not the other way around. We want them to hit the ball hard, enjoy it and hopefully stay in cricket.\u201d<\/p>\n
:: To learn more about the campaign, access resources and sign up to join the biggest grassroots movement to transform the way we coach our children and young people visit www.playtheirway.org.<\/p>\n