The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made this message in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, following Crawley scored a knock of 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. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," 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 favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
