Zak Crawley Claims Ignorance of Stokes' Provocative 'Frail Characters' Remarks

The English opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".

The all-rounder made those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.

Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.

"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.

But, after Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."

"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.

Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging

Stokes made the "weak men" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.

The England squad subsequently took a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.

Before this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.

Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.

"It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."

Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph

The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.

Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.

Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead after three matches played.

Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.

This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.

Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.

"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."

"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.

"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."

Pope's Place Under Scrutiny

Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.

The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.

In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.

A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.

However, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."

"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."

"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.