The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, following the opener made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, 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 some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment after England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
