The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
But, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, 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 media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record 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 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
