The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener 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. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of play – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
