England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following England's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of play – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're 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 tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned 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."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
