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

England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".

The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.

Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.

"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.

However, following Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."

"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.

Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging

The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation after England were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.

The team afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.

Before this match, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.

Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in charge.

"It's been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."

Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory

Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.

The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.

This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead after three matches played.

Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.

This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.

Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.

"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."

"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.

"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard touring here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."

Pope's Position Under Scrutiny

While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.

Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.

In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.

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

But, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."

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

"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he finished.