🔗 Share this article Zak Crawley Unaware of Captain Stokes' Controversial 'Frail Characters' Remarks The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men". Stokes made those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month. Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the squad. "I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said the England leader. However, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that." "I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued. Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind. The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third Tests. Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle. Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge. "The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this Test." Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon. Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs. This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three Tests. Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss. The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days each. Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era. "This is disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now." "There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued. "It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why." Pope's Place Under Scrutiny While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th. The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record against Australia. In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62. A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average. However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp." "The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank." "He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men". Stokes made those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month. Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the squad. "I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said the England leader. However, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that." "I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued. Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind. The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third Tests. Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle. Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge. "The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this Test." Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon. Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs. This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three Tests. Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss. The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days each. Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era. "This is disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now." "There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued. "It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why." Pope's Place Under Scrutiny While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th. The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record against Australia. In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62. A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average. However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp." "The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank." "He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.