The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said 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 press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player 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, Crawley said any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
