Crawley Unaware of Stokes' Provocative 'Weak Men' Comments

The English opener Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".

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

In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad.

"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.

But, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, 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 a pinch of salt," he added.

Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy

The captain made the "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.

The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.

Prior to this match, he revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the series.

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

"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."

Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph

The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.

The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.

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

A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.

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

The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.

"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."

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

"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."

Pope's Position Under Scrutiny

Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.

The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.

In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.

Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.

But, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."

"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."

"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.