The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several conversations following his team'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 with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored 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. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation after England suffered a loss 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 third Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
A loss will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
