The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley made 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 anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
