England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 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.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
