The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
But, following Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations 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 England squad subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
