England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made this message in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance 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 Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
