The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from captain Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made this message in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's performance 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 fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
