England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in several conversations following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener made 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 everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
