Crawley signs Kent extension after losing England deal
Zak Crawley signs a one-year contract extension with Kent after his England central contract was not renewed on Monday.
Key points
- Zak Crawley signed a one-year contract extension with Kent three days after his England central contract was not renewed.
- Crawley last played for England in a one-day international in Sri Lanka in January and has not featured in a Test since the final Ashes game in Sydney.
- He made 608 runs in 12 County Championship matches this season as Kent won promotion to Division One.
England batter Zak Crawley has signed a one-year contract extension with Kent, keeping him at the county next summer. The 28-year-old agreed the new deal three days after his central contract was not renewed when the England and Wales Cricket Board released its updated list.
Crawley has not played a Test since the final game of last winter's Ashes tour in Sydney and last appeared for England in a one-day international in Sri Lanka in January. He played 12 County Championship matches for Kent this season as they won promotion back to Division One, scoring 608 runs with a top score of 89 among four half-centuries.
Crawley on staying at Kent
Crawley said it was an exciting time as Kent return to Division One and that he looked forward to the challenge of competing for the county this coming summer. He added that it was great to see so many young players coming through the system, similar to his own journey into first-team cricket, and that he was excited to help them settle in and further their development.
The opener has made more than 180 appearances in all competitions for his home county since his debut in 2017. He has played 64 Tests and nine ODIs for England, but his position in the international set-up came under scrutiny during last winter's 4-1 Ashes series defeat.
It's an exciting time as we head back into Division One of the County Championship and I'm looking forward to the challenge of competing for Kent this coming summer
— Zak Crawley
What the director of cricket said
Kent director of cricket Simon Crawley said Crawley is an extremely talented batter and a huge presence in the dressing room. He said Crawley's experience of playing around the world benefits the team on the field and that he is always willing to pass on his knowledge to younger batters, which will benefit Kent in the long term.
