England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
But, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment after England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There's no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
