England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from captain Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in several conversations following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
