England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations following England's loss in the second Ashes series against Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following Crawley scored 85 on the fourth 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," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he said his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this Test."
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 spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
