England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes series versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, following the opener made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "weak men" observation after England were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley said any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
