England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews following England's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia 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 now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk from the outside. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
