England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made this message in several conversations following England's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"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 Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
While the opener'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 was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
