England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple interviews following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"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," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead with three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
