England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, adding to 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.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
