Crawley Unaware of Stokes' Controversial 'Frail Characters' Remarks

England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".

Stokes made this message in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.

In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the squad.

"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.

But, following the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."

"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.

Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy

The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.

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

Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the series.

Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.

"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."

Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory

Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.

The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.

This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three Tests.

Defeat will extend England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.

The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.

Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.

"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."

"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.

"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."

Pope's Position Under Scrutiny

Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.

Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.

In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.

Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.

However, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."

"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."

"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.