Crawley Claims Ignorance of Captain Stokes' Controversial 'Weak Men' Comments

The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".

The all-rounder made this message in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.

Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.

"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.

However, after Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "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," Crawley continued.

Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy

Stokes issued his "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.

The team subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.

Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.

Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.

"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."

Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph

Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.

The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.

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

A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.

This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.

Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.

"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'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.

"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."

Pope's Place Under Scrutiny

While the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.

The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.

In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.

A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.

However, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."

"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a good year to be frank."

"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.