The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, he revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
