The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in several interviews following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, 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 media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
