England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in several interviews following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
However, following the opener made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
