England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 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 lead with three matches played.
A loss will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
