The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley 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. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the side, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
But, the opener said any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
