The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, following Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "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 issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
