The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in several conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
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. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three matches played.
A loss will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "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.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
