England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, following the opener made 85 on the fourth 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 some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead with three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of play – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
