Two Tests between Sri Lanka and England will be played behind the closed doors.
England batsman Zak Crawley on Wednesday (January 6) insisted that he doesn’t feel any pressure playing cricket in a bio-bubble, saying he is just “loving it” since the current situation is natural and they can only live it and move forward ahead of the upcoming Test series in Sri Lanka.
He is part of the England squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka –where the touring party had their first net session on Wednesday after returning negative results for COVID-19 in the second testing after their arrival in the Island nation on Sunday.
Ahead of the first World Test Championship Test at Galle, starting from January 14, the Kent batsman said he has accepted the current situation and would do a lot more bubbles to play Test cricket amid the pandemic.
Crawley told reporters in a virtual chat from Hambantota: “It's fine, to be honest. You wouldn't choose it but it's the situation we are in. When we are out of quarantine we have a good laugh and we are out here playing cricket in the sun so it doesn't get better than that.”
The right-hander further added, “I am absolutely loving it. Not feeling any pressure in the bubble for me -- it is what it is. I have accepted that this is how we are going to play Test cricket and I would do a lot more bubbles to play Test cricket.”
Meanwhile, England is currently placed fourth in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship table led by New Zealand followed by Australia and India in second and third place respectively and Crawley said the upcoming Sri Lanka Tests are very crucial for his team for a build-up to the India tour and get to the final.
The youngster further noted, “Any series win in the subcontinent is a great win and obviously we need the win with the Test Championship to get to the final at Lord's. It is a build-up to India - but we've got to take Sri Lanka first. If we don't win that we're going to be struggling to get to Lord's.”
The 22-year-old, who made his Test debut in November 2019 and scored a career-high 267 in a home Test against Pakistan in August 2020, is likely to open for England against Sri Lanka.
Crawley signed off by saying, “I haven't been told anything yet but I assume that might be the case (opening the batting). I'm happy to bat in any of those positions but I think it's quite likely I will open and I'm looking forward to that.”
(With AFP Inputs)