The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide 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 squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
This means, the home team require four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "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. This is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
