The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, after Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 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 poorer average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
