The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
