The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be hard touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
