England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to go 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 players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his poor record versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley said any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
