The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second innings on day four, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
