England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Prior to this match, he said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
But, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
