🔗 Share this article Crawley Unaware of Captain Stokes' Controversial 'Frail Characters' Comments The English opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men". Stokes made those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously. In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group. "I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader. But, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that." "I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued. Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind. The team subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests. Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series. Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior tenure in charge. "It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game." Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph Crawley's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon. Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs. Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played. Defeat will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat. The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively. Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era. "It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now." "There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued. "It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why." Pope's Position Under Scrutiny Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th. Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against the old enemy. In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62. Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average. However, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp." "The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank." "He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
The English opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men". Stokes made those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously. In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group. "I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader. But, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that." "I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued. Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind. The team subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests. Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series. Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior tenure in charge. "It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game." Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph Crawley's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon. Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs. Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played. Defeat will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat. The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively. Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era. "It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now." "There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued. "It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why." Pope's Position Under Scrutiny Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th. Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against the old enemy. In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62. Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average. However, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp." "The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank." "He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.