England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation after England were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, he revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
