The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews following England's defeat in the second Ashes versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"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," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435.
This means, the home team need four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
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 play – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.