England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of play – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.