The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment after England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require four wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
