England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley made a knock of 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 anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "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," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
