England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple interviews following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently took a break to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of play – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
