England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of play – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
