The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here 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'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
