The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, following the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "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 On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of play – after 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 outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
