The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple interviews following England's loss in the second Ashes series against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
