Crawley Claims Ignorance of Captain Stokes' Controversial 'Frail Characters' Remarks

The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".

Stokes made those words in several interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.

In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad.

"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.

But, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."

"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.

Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging

The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.

The team subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.

Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.

Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in charge.

"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."

The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory

Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.

Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.

This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead with three Tests.

Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.

This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.

The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.

"This is disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."

"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.

"It's been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."

Pope's Position Under Scrutiny

While Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.

The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.

Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.

Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.

But, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."

"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."

"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.