🔗 Share this article Zak Crawley Unaware of Captain Stokes' Provocative 'Frail Characters' Comments The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men". The all-rounder made those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month. Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the squad. "I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader. But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks." "I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added. Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging The captain made the "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind. The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests. Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle. Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge. "The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game." Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph Crawley's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon. Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs. This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three Tests. A loss would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat. This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively. The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era. "It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now." "There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued. "The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why." Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny While Crawley's performance in Adelaide 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. The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his poor record against the old enemy. In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62. Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average. But, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team." "The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest." "He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men". The all-rounder made those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month. Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the squad. "I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader. But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks." "I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added. Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging The captain made the "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind. The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests. Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle. Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge. "The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game." Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph Crawley's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon. Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs. This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three Tests. A loss would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat. This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively. The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era. "It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now." "There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued. "The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why." Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny While Crawley's performance in Adelaide 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. The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his poor record against the old enemy. In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62. Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average. But, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team." "The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest." "He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.