Crawley Unaware of Captain Stokes' Provocative 'Frail Characters' Remarks
The English opening batter Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "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," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.