England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment after his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be hard touring here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
