The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews following England's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, 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 media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
This means, the home team require four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
