The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead after three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed 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 eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
