England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, after the opener made a knock of 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 everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special going into this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
