"I was shocked" - Zak Crawley on being offered captaincy for ODI series against Ireland

England cricketer Zak Crawley was shocked at being made the captain for the three-match ODI series against Ireland, starting on September 20. The Kent batter hoped that he was hoping to merely get into the one-day team and regain his spot permanently.

With the 2023 World Cup fast approaching, England have named a second-string squad for the ODI games against Ireland, headlined by three uncapped players.

Crawley has so far played three ODIs, having made his debut in the format in 2021, and has scored 97 runs with one half-century. Ahead of the first ODI against Ireland on Wednesday, the right-hander said that he sees captaining England as a fantastic opportunity.

"Yeah, I was shocked. I was just hoping to get into the team and play more for England, but they told me I was captain and it's a great opportunity for me. It was Motty [head coach Matthew Mott] who gave me the call to say I'd be in the squad and captaining."

He added:

"It was as simple as that. He was doing the rounds phoning everyone else, so it was a pretty brief phone call but a pretty good call."

The 25-year-old had been in fiery form during the 2023 Ashes series as he mustered 480 runs in nine innings at an average of 53.33. However, Crawley's form plummeted in The Hundred for the London Spirit, managing only 65 runs in seven innings at an average of 13.

"We all try to emulate him as much as we can" - Zak Crawley on Joe Root

Crawley went on to claim that they will try to play as aggressively as the first-string side and sees Joe Root as a role model. He said, as quoted by BBC Sport:

"We all know how this England white-ball team has played over the past eight years. We know how to get into the main team, it's by being aggressive, showing people what skill and quality you have. That's what we should all try to do this week."

He added:

"To have him in the side as a batsman and former captain is going to be tremendously useful for me and the team. No-one works harder than Joe, that's why he's the best. We all try to emulate him as much as we can. He's a great person to learn from and a role model for us all."

Root struggled in the four-match ODI series against New Zealand, making scores of 6, 0, 4, and 29, as England won the series 3-1.