Crawley Unaware of Stokes' Provocative 'Weak Men' Remarks

England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".

The all-rounder made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.

Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.

"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.

But, after the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, 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 a pinch of salt," he added.

Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy

Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.

The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.

Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.

Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in charge.

"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."

The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory

Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.

Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.

Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.

Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.

This series will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.

The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.

"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."

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

"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."

Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny

Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope looks 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, adding to his poor record against Australia.

In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.

A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.

However, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."

"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."

"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.