The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, following Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, 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 media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
