England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by captain Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations following England's loss in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
But, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, 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," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, he revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of play – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
