England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances 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 at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
