The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
