The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"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 some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
