The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
