The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after 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. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware 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 from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
