England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple conversations following England's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
