Zak Crawley Unaware of Captain Stokes' Provocative 'Weak Men' Comments

England opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".

The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.

In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.

"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.

But, after Crawley scored 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. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.

Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging

Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.

The England squad subsequently took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.

Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the series.

Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in leadership.

"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."

The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory

The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.

The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.

Consequently, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.

A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.

The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.

Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.

"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."

"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.

"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."

Pope's Position Under Scrutiny

While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.

Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.

Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.

A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.

However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope 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 productive year to be frank."

"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.