The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, following Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.
This means, the home team need four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
