The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several interviews following England's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, following Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, the home team need four wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
