England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
