England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, Stokes 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 asserted the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted 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 Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
