England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made this message in several conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
However, following the opener scored 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 anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of play – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
