The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener made 85 on the fourth 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 everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate place in the side, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
