🔗 Share this article Crawley Claims Ignorance of Stokes' Provocative 'Frail Characters' Comments The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men". The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month. In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad. "I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes. But, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that." "I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued. Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind. The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests. Prior to this match, he said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the series. Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge. "The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game." The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon. The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs. This means, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead with three matches played. Defeat will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss. The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each. Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century. "It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point." "There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added. "It's been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality." Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny Although Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th. The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy. In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62. A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average. However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team." "We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest." "He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men". The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month. In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad. "I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes. But, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that." "I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued. Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind. The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests. Prior to this match, he said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the series. Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge. "The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game." The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon. The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs. This means, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead with three matches played. Defeat will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss. The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each. Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century. "It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point." "There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added. "It's been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality." Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny Although Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th. The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy. In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62. A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average. However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team." "We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest." "He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.