The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made this message in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, following the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There's no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
