The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "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 Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
Australia Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
A loss will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
