England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," he finished.
