The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth 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 media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
