England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second Ashes versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
