England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
