England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate 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 everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes said his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
