Lyon and Cummins put Australia on verge of Ashes victory
Crawley unaware of Stokes’ ‘weak men’ remarks
Opening batsman Zak Crawley indicated that he was not cognizant of the remarks made by Ben Stokes, who mentioned that his dressing room is “not a place for weak men.” Stokes expressed this opinion in various interviews following England’s loss in the second Ashes Test against Australia earlier this month. As the third Test approaches, where England faces the risk of losing the series swiftly, Stokes noted that he had allowed his message to “drift around” among his players. “I’ve done all the talking over the last two days that I needed to have done,” remarked the all-rounder. However, after Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day of the third Test in Adelaide, he commented: “I didn’t see that. I wasn’t really on the lookout for it. We take everything reported in the media with a grain of salt.” Stokes made the “weak men” remark after England suffered defeat in Brisbane, falling to 2-0 down in the series. The England team then took a holiday in Noosa between the second and third Tests. Prior to this match in Adelaide, Stokes stated that his team had engaged in “raw” discussions. The captain also urged his players to “show a bit of dog” in their fight to stay competitive in the series. Nonetheless, Kent’s Crawley asserted that the communication from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had been consistent with their messaging over the past three years. “It’s been very positive, just as always,” noted Crawley. “(It’s) simply about maintaining optimism, playing our style, and embracing freedom. It felt like we could achieve something remarkable going into this game.”
Published: 2025-12-20 10:28:00
source: www.bbc.com
