The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
