England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, following the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
