Crawley Unaware of Captain Stokes' Controversial 'Frail Characters' Comments
The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made this message in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"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.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate place in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
