The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, he said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia Close of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of play – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
