The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was 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 with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
