The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "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 press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
