Explained! Why Is Zak Crawley Not in England Squad for 1st Test Against NZ?

England have announced their squad for the first Test against New Zealand to be played from June 4, 2026. All-rounder Ben Stokes will lead the side which has some new names who can make their Test debut.

However, opener Zak Crawley is not in the squad and it has created a buzz. Crawley has been one of the mainstays of England's Test team over the last few years and his absence raises questions about England's new approach.

Why Zak Crawley Not In England Squad For 1st Test vs NZ?

According to Sky Sports, Zak Crawley has been dropped from England's Test team for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's, one of the best cricket stadiums in the world. Crawley has been struggling recently with the bat in the County Championship, and as a result, the selectors, decided to leave him out of the squad.

Crawley's Test career has been full of ups and downs. Despite scoring a memorable double hundred against Pakistan in 2020 and occasional eye-catching knocks, he hasn't been able to show enough consistency at this level.

He has been given a no. of opportunities by the England team management under the head coach Brendon McCullum. However, the recent slump in form in County Cricket might have gone against him this time around.

Durham's batter Emilio Gay has been picked in the squad and might open the batting alongside Ben Duckett. Gay has scored 552 runs at a staggering average of 92 this season and could be an excellent addition to this team.

Ollie Robinson Returns, Jofra Archer Out

Fast bowler Ollie Robinson also returns to the team after playing his last Test match in 2024. Meanwhile, star fast bowler Jofra Archer also did not feature in this squad as he was out of contention due to his commitments in the IPL, where he is representing Rajasthan Royals.

The other two debutants in this squad are fast bowler Sonny Baker and the wicketkeeper-batter James Rew, who has been impressive during the England Lions tours. He will serve as the back-up keeper to Jamie Smith.

The batting line-up looks strong with Joe Root and and Harry Brook in the middle order. Both of them are amongst the best Test batsmen and with Stokes to follow, it looks like a solid team.

England Squad For 1st Test Against New Zealand

Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, ‌Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie ​Smith, Josh Tongue.