England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in several conversations following his team's loss in the second Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "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 media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
