England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
But, after Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
