The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in several interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, following the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" comment subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
