England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in several interviews following England's defeat in the second 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 sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment after his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
