Zak Crawley Responds to Iceland Cricket's Duck Prediction in Ashes 2025

In the lead-up to the Pink-Ball Test of the Ashes 2025, Zak Crawley faced a humorous prediction from Iceland Cricket, forecasting another duck. However, he responded with a remarkable innings, scoring 76 runs and stabilizing England's batting after early setbacks. This article explores Crawley's performance, his career stats, and the playful banter from Iceland Cricket that added to the excitement of the series.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 4, 2025, 15:08 IST

England's Struggles Ahead of the Pink-Ball Test

As the Pink-Ball Test of the Ashes 2025 approaches, Iceland Cricket took a jab at England opener Zak Crawley, forecasting a duck for him against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on December 4. England, under the leadership of Ben Stokes, is looking to bounce back after suffering an eight-wicket loss to Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

Choosing to bat first, England faced immediate challenges, finding themselves at 5/2 after the quick dismissals of Ben Duckett (0) and Ollie Pope (0), both taken out by Australia's fast bowler Mitchell Starc. This left the team in dire need of a solid partnership to stabilize their innings.

Crawley and Root's Partnership

After Ollie Pope's dismissal, Zak Crawley was joined by former England captain Joe Root. Their goal was not only to continue the innings but also to recover from a precarious situation that threatened to repeat the collapse seen in the first innings of the Perth Test.

Iceland Cricket's Prediction for Crawley

Zak Crawley had a rough start to the Ashes series, recording ducks in both innings of the first Test in Perth, making him the first England opener to achieve a 'pair' in an Ashes Test. This performance has placed him under significant scrutiny as he heads into the Pink-Ball Test.

Iceland Cricket humorously predicted Crawley's third duck in the series, urging fans to wake up early to witness his potential failure. They tweeted, "We have set our alarms for 04:01 Icelandic time to witness Zak Crawley's third Ashes duck. Duck for starter, mains, and dessert."

Crawley's Impressive Response

In a twist, Zak Crawley responded to Iceland Cricket's prediction with a stellar performance, scoring a fluent fifty in the first innings of the Pink-Ball Test. Alongside Joe Root, he helped stabilize England's innings after early setbacks, forming a 117-run partnership for the third wicket before being dismissed at 122/3.

Crawley scored an impressive 76 runs off 93 balls before being out by Michael Neser, marking a significant comeback after his previous twin ducks. Following his innings, Iceland Cricket humorously claimed credit for motivating him, stating, "You see how we can motivate players to do better!"

Crawley's Test Career Stats

Since making his Test debut in 2019, Zak Crawley has accumulated 3,389 runs, including five centuries and 20 fifties, with an average of 31.37 across 61 matches. In the Ashes, he has performed well, scoring 722 runs, which includes one century and four fifties, at an average of 40.11 in 10 matches.