England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth 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 everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of 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 three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
