The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth 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 sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
