England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in several conversations following England's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, following Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed 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 amongst the players," Crawley finished.
