England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
