England opener Zak Crawley returns to Perth on a one-year deal with full finals availability, replacing Finn Allen who has moved to Melbourne Stars.
Perth Scorchers have signed England opener Zak Crawley on a one-year deal for the 2026-27 Big Bash League season, with the Kent batter available for the full tournament, including the finals. The signing was confirmed on September 29, 2026.
Crawley fills the vacancy left by New Zealand opener Finn Allen, who has departed for Melbourne Stars on a three-year deal worth more than half a million dollars in its first season alone. Allen had scored a tournament-leading 466 runs for the Scorchers last season, helping the club claim an unprecedented sixth men's title.
Crawley is the second English player to join the Scorchers, alongside leg-spinner Calvin Harrison. Head coach Adam Voges will oversee the side in the upcoming campaign.
Why have Perth Scorchers turned to Crawley?
Crawley is no stranger to the Scorchers setup. He made his Big Bash debut with Hobart Hurricanes in the 2022-23 season, playing eight games, before being picked up by Perth in the overseas player draft for the 2023-24 campaign. That season, he played six games for the club and scored 155 runs, including an unbeaten 65 against Hobart Hurricanes.
His familiarity with several Scorchers players and the Perth environment made him a straightforward choice to fill the top-order vacancy. Perth Scorchers head coach Adam Voges spoke about the addition, while Crawley himself expressed enthusiasm about the return.
"Our top order was critical to our success in BBL|15 and it's exciting to add Zak (Crawley) into the mix alongside the likes of Mitch Marsh, Cooper Connolly and Aaron Hardie. Zak made a terrific impression during his time with the club in BBL|13 and we have no doubt he will become a favourite among our members and fans," Voges said, as quoted by cricket.com.au.
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Perth in BBL|13 and got an appreciation for how well respected the Scorchers are across the competition. Optus Stadium is a wonderful place to play cricket and I'm looking forward to the opportunity of playing in front of our loyal members and fans," Crawley said.
What is Crawley's broader cricket background ahead of the season?
At Test level, Crawley has accumulated 3,586 runs for England, with his second-highest score being a maiden century of 267 against Pakistan in 2020. He also scored 189 during the fourth Test of the 2023 Ashes in Manchester. Crawley has played nine ODIs for England, with his most recent appearance coming in Sri Lanka in January 2026, and he remains uncapped at T20 international level.
In the 2026 T20 Blast, Crawley produced 259 runs in 12 games for Kent, and he recently featured for Sunrisers Leeds in the Hundred tournament alongside Mitch Marsh, with the side reaching the Eliminator final.