England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made 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.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line 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, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
Australia Close of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 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. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he finished.
