🔗 Share this article Zak Crawley Claims Ignorance of Captain Stokes' Provocative 'Frail Characters' Remarks The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude". Stokes made this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month. Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group. "I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader. However, following Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that." "I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added. Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down. The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches. Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle. Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge. "It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game." Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon. The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs. Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three Tests. Defeat will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat. The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively. The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century. "This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point." "There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued. "It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why." Pope's Place Under Scrutiny While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th. The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record against the old enemy. Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62. A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average. However, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team." "The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year to be frank." "He has played several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude". Stokes made this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month. Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group. "I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader. However, following Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that." "I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added. Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down. The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches. Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle. Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge. "It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game." Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon. The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs. Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three Tests. Defeat will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat. The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively. The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century. "This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point." "There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued. "It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why." Pope's Place Under Scrutiny While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th. The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record against the old enemy. Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62. A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average. However, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team." "The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year to be frank." "He has played several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.