Kent's Zak Crawley ruled out for next two County Championship games

England batsman Zak Crawley will miss Kent's next two County Championship matches to rest before the T20 Blast returns.

England batsman rested England opening batter Zak Crawley will take a break from County Championship duties with Kent, missing the club's next two red-ball fixtures. The decision follows discussions between Crawley and the England coaching team about his workload. He is expected to return on June 26, when Kent Spitfires host Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the T20 Blast. The move comes as Crawley looks to regain form ahead of domestic red-ball contention later this summer. ## Recent form under scrutiny Crawley has managed just 226 runs across 12 Division Two innings this season, posting a modest average of 20.54. His struggles saw him lose his spot in England's Test XI to Durham opener Emilio Gay, who has dominated Division Two with a strike rate of 78.85. Gay's domestic success included a half-century on his international debut against New Zealand. The ECB confirmed the break was mutually agreed between Crawley and England's coaching setup to address his recent dip in performances. ## Path back into Test reckoning Crawley's next potential red-ball outing for Kent arrives on August 20, when they face Middlesex. That match overlaps with England's first Test against Pakistan, limiting his window to force his way back into the squad. With the third Test of the Pakistan series starting September 9, he could feature in at most three more County Championship games this summer. The congested schedule means Crawley must seize any remaining opportunities to revive his Test ambitions before the season concludes.