The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "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 a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK 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.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
