Crawley Unaware of Captain Stokes' Controversial 'Frail Characters' Comments
The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.