The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored 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.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
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.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
