England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, after Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment after England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435.
This means, the home team require four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
