The English 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".
Stokes made those words in several conversations following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" comment after England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
