England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special going into this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed 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 eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
