England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth 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 anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
