England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
This series 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 sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.