Zak Crawley Unaware of Captain Stokes' Provocative 'Frail Characters' Comments
The English opener Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple interviews following England's loss in the second Ashes series against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
