The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after 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 destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate place in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
