The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead with three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
