🔗 Share this article Zak Crawley Unaware of Stokes' Controversial 'Weak Men' Remarks The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude". Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations following England's loss in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month. Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad. "I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader. But, following Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, 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. Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy Stokes made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind. The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests. Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series. Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership. "The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game." Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon. Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435. Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead after three Tests. Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes loss. The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively. The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century. "This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point." "There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued. "It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why." Ollie Pope's Position In Question Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day. Pope fell for 17 in England's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia. Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62. A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average. However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp." "The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest." "He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude". Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations following England's loss in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month. Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad. "I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader. But, following Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, 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. Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy Stokes made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind. The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests. Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series. Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership. "The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game." Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon. Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435. Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead after three Tests. Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes loss. The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively. The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century. "This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point." "There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued. "It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why." Ollie Pope's Position In Question Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day. Pope fell for 17 in England's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia. Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62. A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average. However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp." "The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest." "He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.