Zak Crawley in action for England. Photo: Photosport
Opener Zak Crawley is confident England will be ready for the first Ashes test against Australia in Perth next week, despite criticism of the team's limited preparation time before the start of the five-match series.
The opening test starts at Perth Stadium next week, with England playing a solitary warm-up match against the England Lions at Lilac Hill in a move widely questioned by commentators and former players.
Crawley, who hit 82 runs off 101 balls, as England were dismissed for 426 in the first innings, expressed confidence the team would not be undercooked going into the highly anticipated series.
"Luckily, I don't have to worry about those sorts of things," he said. "I just try and turn up, and play my role in the team.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's good prep. We're getting used to the weather, getting used to the flies.
"It's good prep and I feel like we'll be ready for next week."
In the first test, the 27-year-old will return to the Western Australia capital, after previously playing for Twenty20 side Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. He said he relished the prospect of opening the batting at the 60,000-capacity venue.
"I love this town - it's one of my favourite places in the world, so I love being back," he said. "Got a lot of friends here, my old batting coach is from here and I feel like I've got a connection here.
"I love Perth. I didn't get to [play here] last time with COVID, so it'll be very special.
"I played for the Scorchers here and Optus Stadium is an unbelievable ground. A lot of English people there hopefully and it's going to be one of the most special moments of my career for sure."
- Reuters
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
