England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," 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 definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
