England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley 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. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
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. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
