The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made this message in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"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," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation after his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of play – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
