Zak Crawley Claims Ignorance of Captain Stokes' Provocative 'Frail Characters' Comments

England opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".

Stokes made those words in several interviews following England's defeat in the second Ashes against the Australians previously.

Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad.

"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.

But, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."

"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.

Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging

The captain issued his "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.

The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.

Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.

Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.

"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."

Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph

Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.

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

Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.

Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.

The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.

Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.

"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."

"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.

"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."

Pope's Position Under Scrutiny

While Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.

The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.

Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.

Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.

But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."

"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."

"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.