England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted 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 the England leader.
However, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead with three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
