The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made this message in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, 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
The captain made the "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
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 eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
