England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple interviews following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
But, following Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate 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 good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
