England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following Crawley made 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. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need four wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
