England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently took a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
