The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several conversations following England's defeat in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
