England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let 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 Stokes.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
