England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes series against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
But, after the opener scored 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. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, he said his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.
This means, the home team need four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
