England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England 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 occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
