The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a holiday 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 remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
Australia Close of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
