The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "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
Stokes made the "weak men" comment subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line 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. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
